Tuesday Recap

Wow! Lots going on! I don't really know where to start so I'll start with this: I was re-reading my second-to-last post (the one with the bump pic), and man. Talk about preggo brain. Typos, random words thrown nonsensically into sentences. Oops.

Anyway, have I mentioned how much love January?? It hasn't always been that way. Especially when January = cold. Here, not so much. I know a lot of people aren't super enthused by this time of year, but for me, at least this year, it's been a huge sigh of relief. No more frantic holiday preparation. No more dreaded extended hours in the car. Dwindling morning sickness. Things are really starting to get back to normal, and I must say it's quite nice.

So what has normal looked like over the past few weeks? Well, as an expansion of my design biz, I'm working on textile line that I hope to launch by mid-March (maybe sooner if all goes well). It's been fun and challenging and I'm just really excited to get it out there.

And when I'm not working on, well, work, I think it's pretty safe to say nesting has taken full effect. Nesting and napping. I think I've finally picked out paint colors for the bathrooms, master bedroom, downstairs living room, guest room, baby's room, and dining room. That's a lot of painting. Sorry, Brendan. It'll all be worth it, I promise. I know I have like five or so more months, I just want to get this stuff done before the baby gets here. Because God knows once s/he arrives on the scene, things will be wayyy different.

I'm so badly fighting the urge to share my nursery concept boards and the names with y'all. I'm so excited about both but I know a big reveal is best. But....who knows. I could crack. We'll see. I think as soon as we find out the gender operation nursery will be in full swing, so maybe I can show it to you sooner rather than later.

Speaking of which, we find out if baby M is a boy or girl next month! I'm so excited!! Mid-February can't come soon enough!

Well, friends, that's all for now. Hope you're having a great week!

Big Apple Love

{As Promised}

So two weekends ago, I went here:

You might find it bit odd that I would go to NYC right after a blizzard, but if you really know me, you'd know that it's not odd at all. I love this city.

It wasn't nearly as cold as it looks. In fact, thanks to some awesome rain boots we bought at Tertorn in SoHo and these amazing fur hats, we were totally toasty.

Here's a look at our trip:

Red Velvet + Dulce de Leche {Crumbs}

CP ♥

Purl Soho {love this place}

Washington Square {The Village}

Park Ave. {flowers} | Bryant Park {snowmen}

Tretorn saved our lives! {and our feet}

Do as ze Russians do.

CP

SoHo

Hello, Kate Spade.


The Rug Company | SoHo



Ze Pod.


{taxicab yellow} the accent color of the city

I'd rather be doing this

...and playing Scrabble and listening to Band of Horses Pandora.


Work shmerk.

ADD

I am way too ADD to work today. All I want to do is go home and decorate the Christmas tree and go for a walk and maybe go to the land bridge in Old Mt. P and go shopping at Out of Hand and go to Starbucks and get lunch at Poe's and go downtown and go shopping everywhere and call all my friends that I haven't talked to in a long time.

IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?????


Thanks, Allie Brosh (hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com) for summing up my current state as illustrated below:

Whatever You Are...

Quote: Abraham Lincoln
Card: 3 Lambs Graphics via Etsy

Just a little encouragement for your hump day. I think I need to particularly take this to heart. It's easy for me to want to not put as much effort into what I'm doing now because there are other things I'd rather be doing.

Yes, I can't wait to get started with my design business, but I know and am continuing to learn through mentors and studying that this will not happen over night. Ok, obviously, I never had those kind of expectations, but I think what I'm beginning to understand is that I can learn a lot from what I'm doing now that will translate very well into what I want to do with my future. At first, that seemed unlikely, but when I really think about it, it's true: dealing with vendors, meeting deadlines, tracking progress, creating new business systems and workflows, dealing with the public and training colleagues. No, there's not an ounce of fabulous style in it, but it is rich with business-savvy wisdom I really need to be soaking up right now. As for the style, I really think you either have it or you don't.

I am amazed at the resources that are out there for people who actually take the time to look. And I'm sorry that the last three posts have been dedicated to my design career, but I am just SO pumped about it and it's pretty much on my mind 24/7. So obviously I want to share.

But just out of fairness to the other things on my to-do list, here are something other things running around in my brain:

• I miss my mom!
• Move over Caribou. I picked up this coffee in Italian Roast at Whole Foods and it is the best. I'm in love.
  

• I'm obsessed with this bag from Urban Outfitters:

• I think this might be my favorite Bible verse of all time. It's encourage in hard times and even in times when you're floating along and everything's peachy:

"In this world you may have trouble. But take heart! I have conquered the world."
John 16:33b

And I love it's use here.

• My hubby is awesome!
  

Welp, that's all for now, friendlies. Happy Hump Day!

Hello, Autumn!

The official first day has passed, but it's just starting to feel like fall. Mornings are crisp, days are overcast, and we've actually been getting a lot of rain here in the lowcountry. I'm not complaining though, because this is what the weather looks like next week:

So looking forward to it.

So with little whims of autumn creeping in all around, I can't help but be inspired. Here are some of my favorite fall things....

{click image to see stuff in all it's splendor}

All of this eye candy makes me want to go outside take in a deep breath of crisp air, and jump into a pile of leaves- of course while staying cozy in that black and white wool cape or that rust-colored silk-cashmere wrap. I am so ready for some Wellies and oyster roasts and toasty red wine and cuddling up with a good book on an overcast day. The Gardiner Heist is one I'm really looking forward to. And speaking of cuddling up, I could really use a pair of those sock slippers. And that Fire Side Wood Wick candle, and those maple marshmallows...and...all of it!!!

Oh fall, I'm so glad you've made it. You're just in time.

From top left:

• Vintage Herringbone Pillow High Street Market (etsy store)
• Continuum: Music by John Mayer Amazon.com
• Gold Stackable Rings Stella & Dot
• Passion Flower Plate Crate & Barrel
  
• East Hampton Cottage Flannel Shirt Shopruche.com
• Natural Draw-String Sweat Shirt Gap {no link available}
• Sam Adams Octoberfest Beer
• Decorative Pumpkins and Gourds (set of five) Pottery Barn
  
• Snow Leopard Cocoon Cardi-Cape Leilanni (etsy store)
• Warm Slipper Socks Forever 21
• "I Love!" Copper Notebook Oh Joy!
  
• Heritage Badge Mug Starbucks
  
• The Gardener Heist by Ulrich Boser Amazon.com
  
• Facetted Jewel Necklace Forever 21
• Nail Color in Velvet Voyer Essie
• Frilly Sweater in Oatmeal Shopruche.com {out of stock}]
• WoodWick 10 oz. Candle in Fireside Wood Wick
  
• Studded Leather Wrap Bracelets Lori's
  
• Sculptural Birds Pottery Barn
  
• Weathered Leather Boots Forever 21 {yes...F21. I didn't believe it either. Please don't let them sell out, please don't let them sell out!}
• Beauty Basics Scarves in Olive, Dusty Pink, and Eggplant Shopruche.com
• Trasforming Wool Cape Lex M (etsy store)
• Pumpkin Ginger Sandwich Cookies and Brown Sugar Ginger Spice Cookies Whimsey & Spice
  
• Fuzzy Plaid Scarf Forever 21
• Gray Pearl Cocktail Ring Ann Taylor
  
• Maple Marshmallows Whimsy & Spice
  
• The Emerson Clutch EmersonMade
  
• Silk Posy Tee in Moroccan Spice, Jeweled Dream Cardigan in Rope, and Refined Silk-Cashmere Wrap in Vintage Rosewood J.Crew
• Gossip in the Grain: Ray Lamontagne Amazon.com
  
• BDG Sholder-Stripe Cardigan Urban Outfitters
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer International Delight
  
• Women's Pelican Tall Boot Lug in Tan Plaid Sperry Top-Sider
  
• Escudo Rojo Chilean Bordeaux Blend

I Have ADD

I really think I do. I feel like my mind is on total overload right now and focusing on any one thing or any one project is pretty much impossible. For example, as soon as I sit down to work on my book, ooooh pretty design blog followed by I could be an interior designer followed by what would my branding be like followed by an hour of creating a beautiful albeit hypothetical business name and logo, followed by I'm good at making logos, maybe I should just be a graphic designer followed by total mental freak out of what I want to do with my life and what I want to do with the blank wall in my bedroom and what the heck kind of properly fitting shade I should get for the lamp on my night stand because the one on it now is way to small and basically makes it look like a cankle. AHHHasdkjahsldkjh dasdfasdkjfasdf.






*Yes, I realize I haven't posted on my birthday or New York yet. Besides the original, it was probably the best birthday I've ever had and I will post on it as soon as I get my pics together. They have been another casualty of my adult on-set ADD.

Five.

I was just thinking to myself "I need to take a blog break." This is a time during the day that I take a few minutes to construe a somewhat cohesive articulation of the randomness that swirls through my head on a daily basis.

Coincidentally, I happened to drop by a friend's blog and saw this little number that I think I will repeat.

Thanks, Em!

Lists of Five

Five Things At Work

• The James Bond ringtone on my office phone. Usually makes me smile every time it rings. Depends who's calling.
  
• Enjoying non-alcoholic Mad Men style happy hour complete with virgin bloody Marys, a cheese tray, and stuffed olives. Invitation only.
  
• Finally feeling like I'm making valuable contributions to a really substantial project.
• Seasonal Pumpkin Spice coffee for K-Cups.
• Getting to play with Kindles all day :)

Five Things At Home

• Starting to get the office looking like an office (and having a new room to decorate)!
• Martha Stewart-style organization project in the laundry room (functional and fabulous).
  
• Finally breaking out the sewing machine. This could be delightful or disastrous.
  
• Working on a variety of home-based projects (things I can do at home that aren't related to things actually in my house...design work, book, etc.).
• Our new view. Love looking at the park as apposed to a parking lot!
  

Five Words I Love

• Liberty
  
• Bungalow
• Onyx
• Dahlia
• Basil

Five Accessories You Should Own (Ha! As if I could ever narrow it down...)

• Aviators
• Nude heels
  
• White watch
• Gray scarf
• iPhone (does that count?)

Five Nice Things to Do For Someone Else

• Take them for coffee...your treat.
• Watch their kids so they can have date night.
• Talk less, listen more.
• Compliment genuinely when compliments are due.
  
• Pass on a book that you really enjoyed and know they will too.
  

Into the Wild

I'm not usually given to garishness. My wardrobe consists of a lot gray, white and black. I'd say all and all, I'm pretty monochromatic with punches of color here and there. To me, you make more of a statement with subtlety because people are actually more prone to notice a gold belt or coral cuff when it's up against a canvas that actually allows it make a statement, rather than getting bogged down in with over accessorization or patterns that should just be a statement themselves.

So I'd like to acknowledge the latter of the two- patterns that should just a be a statement themselves.

Animal print hasn't always been my thing. But this fall, I'm finding myself really drawn to it. Especially in softer colors that we all know those animals don't really come in (grays, pastels, plum).

If you really look at it, animal print is nothing more than an unconventional pattern of neutrals, that when done correctly, is so Fifth Avenue and so not Jersey Shore.


Now, I'm definitely not advocating over doing it (which can be easily done).

I think sticking with one jungle cat inspired item per outfit is all you need.

I've had this thought before, and I think this just proves it to be true- God is truly the king of couture. I wonder what His muse was when creating such haute patterns.

Tiw's Day

First it was Tiwesdæg. Then it was Tewesday. Now it's Tuesday. Literally. It's Tuesday today.

What a random day Tuesday is. It's not dreaded like Monday. It doesn't offer symmetry like Wednesday does. It's not fun like Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, and unlike it's pseudo-counterpart, it's no almost-the-weekend Thursday. It's just Tuesday.

Like I said, it used to be called Tiwesdæg, which most Latin-derived languages interpret to mean "Tiw's Day" in which "Tiw" refers to Týr: Norse god of single combat. Even back then, Tuesday was an isolated battle.


This particular Tuesday, I am fighting an isolated battle against sudden-striking narcolepsy and general disinterest for the day. As part of a stringent combat strategy, I'm daydreaming about all kinds of other things.

Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. It's baaaaaaack.


I found these super cute studs on one of my fav super cute blogs {hey suzy! of SuzyJack*}, who found them here.

Yay! I little design freebie. I think this may become a regular thing.






Paris et Rome. Thank you Lonely Planet. Come on April!

Just a little obsessed...

So ever since Lost wrapped up, I've been looking for a new television obsession. At first I was looking for something just as thrilling and mysterious. Fringe? Eh. FlashForward? Lame. Dexter? Good, but too much blood.

And then I found it. It was somewhat unexpected because although I was immediately attracted to the premise and setting, I thought all hope was lost (ha...no pun intended) of being able to get as emotionally connected to a show like I was with Kate, Jack, Sawyer, etc.

We rented the first season from Netflix and despite the initial laughter at times such a bygone dialect, we were hooked.

In a matter of weeks, we've watched three seasons and as of Wednesday night, are all caught up. Thank God for the iTunes show pass that lets us watch Sunday episodes on Monday! Otherwise we'd have to wait like six months to get our fix of retro fashion, office Whiskey, and good old fashion lack of communication.

Also, the intro might be the best intro of any show ever. LOVE IT!!

http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/

TGIF, et cetera.

If you've read our old blog, you know that I'm quite found of lists. I am the girl who makes a list for everything and consequently am always surrounded by a flurry of multi-colored post-its. These lists include but are not limited to:

• groceries (duh)
• music I hear on iTunes and want buy
• comedians I hear on AOL radio and want to Google
• things I hear on NPR and want to Google
  
• what I've eaten throughout the course of a day
• what I should eat throughout the course of a day
  
• things I want to save my money for and buy that I never actually will
• books I want to read
• design ideas
  

You know, just stuff. Usually the actual to-do's really just make me feel more productive than I actually am and I never really finish anything, but hey! I made a list!

So I think I'll make you a list of random things that are running through my head on this drizzly Friday morning:

• I got two fillings yesterday. It was frustrating because the dentist kept talking about all these bands I really like and how he's friends with Hootie and the Blowfish and I wanted to actually talk but I couldn't because he was drilling a hole in my tooth and I couldn't control my numb face. Lame.
  
• I'm PUMPED for NewSpring to come to Charleston! BIG things are going to happen. Can't wait.
  
• I think I'm going to take some interior design classes. I'm so in love with all forms design right now and I think some actual classes would be really fun and a great spring board for things to come.
  
• Lack of a title makes designing a book cover very difficult.
• This is the first August that I haven't had a whopper freak out and decided that it's too hot down here and I want to move. It only took two years.
  
• I love this girl so much! Her stuff is so fab and her 2011 calendar is just lovely. I love my 2010 and am glad that it will be replaced by something equally as brilliant. Yay SuzyJack*!
  

• I love this picture of my mom and brother:

• I want to put this somewhere in my house:
  

• This song has been stuck in my head all morning. I'm *sure* you've seen it, but just watch it again. You know you want to.First:

Then:




Have fun listening to that as it loops around in your head all day. Happy Friday, friends! Have a lovely weekend :)

BREAKING NEWS!!

Ok people. This is a special report. Anthropologie has an outdoor store {{!!!}} .

It's called Terrain and I think I just died a little upon receiving the news of it's existence.

It's not new. I think there are only a few test stores that opened before the economy plummeted. Say what you will about me and my priorities but can we please PLEASE fix the economy so that we can get one of these down here? I mean among all the other good reason to fix it, of course.