who, what, where, when

getting ice cream

Summer is just about over and I feel a bit like I’ve abandoned by blog these last few months.

I spent the first half of summer working on a project that left me exhausted week after week. It was fun and exhilarating but EXHAUSTING!! Two months later when everything was wrapped up I spent a week zonked out on my couch. By the time I popped back up it was time to hop on a plane to sunny and hot Dayton, Ohio. After two days of gorging out on Americana (think Arby’s and Chick-fill-a) I returned to New York sans child. That started a week of endless social events.

Embarrassingly so, a week of nightly dinners with friends, food and booze left me.. exhausted.

As much I loved being back in the scene a week of heavy socializing left me, once again, glued to my couch. I spent my second weekend sans child at California Pizza Kitchen sitting with my husband in silence because at that point I was all talked out from the socializing. I even sipped on water for the entire meal because, as of present, margaritas make me a little sick.

I guess there is some to truth to having “too much of a good thing.”

We welcomed Graycen back on Friday!! I think I grinned like a crazy chester cat until the moment I saw him. Now, with only a few weeks left of summer I need to get organized. The little man starts school in September which has me seriously weepy.

I dream of the day I get to do a kitchen remodel. Our kitchen desperately needs it. Desperately! 

I will say that it’s definitely the least beautiful thing in my life… but it functions so I shouldn’t complain too much. For now I will continue to lose myself in pretty photos of gorgeous kitchens.   

love the handles

love this kitchen

don't you love it, too?

crafts: gift wrap

kraft paper gift wrap

gift for a little girl, from Graycen

We recently went to a birthday party empty handed. That’s what happens when your husband is in charge of getting a gift. Fortunate for him, they live in our building and were very understanding (at least more understanding then I was).

I wrapped this gift a few weeks after the party and for selfish reasons I have to say that wrapping a gift to drop off “after the party” is a lot less exciting.

I went pretty basic on this gift but I ended up really happy with the end result. A store where I purchase a lot of my wrappings will roll your paper in Kraft paper. I then recycled the Kraft paper by using it as the gift wrap. I finished it off with brown and white butchers twine by Martha Stewart. The animal cut out is also by Martha Stewart. I realize that these keep showing up a lot on my gifts but that’s because I love them immensely. I think they make the perfect gift tag and are a great substitute  for the lack of a greeting card. You might also notice that I hardly ever (almost never) give a gift with a card.

crafts: cute.. or not

recycled polka dot tissue paper

Well, they always say there is a first time for everything.

I guess you can say this was my “first.” I recently gave a gift and got a collective “OMG.” It just wasn’t the kind of OMG you want to hear. It was more like “OMG, who the fkk made that?”

Umm, that would be me. Opps!

I gave this gift at a baby shower for my coworker. I’m very fond of the fun house theme. That’s what I call it – Fun House. Apparently the other guests, like my boss, were calling it scary clown and saying things like “Who brings a scary clown to a shower.”

And to think I was brimming with pride when I showed up with my box.

fun house gift wrap...

or is it scary clown gift wrap?

 

I don’t know. I still stand by my piece. I think it’s fun as in FUN HOUSE. But maybe the collective fear in the room explains why this paper was on a deep discount when I bought it. 

I love how the red polka dots on the tissue paper mirror the polka dots on the wrapping paper. I love the red and white stripped twine from Martha Stewart and I love the navy blue against the bright white mixed with the curry yellow.

Tissue paper is recycled from a purchase at Anthro and wrapping paper is from Paper Source.

I have a thing right now for chairs that display a bit more character. Here go a few that caught my eye this weekend.

via Design Within Reach

photo by Melanie Acevedo, Domino, October 2006

photo by Simon Upton

via jonathan adler

sucker for ruffles

I love!

Calypso bag via India Rose

I have a bit too much on my plate right now. That seems to be my slogan this summer. Mostly I just feel beat (and hot).

What about you? Is your summer cruisin’ along at a better pace? Feel free to brag, I don’t mind. 🙂

There is something about this room that facinates me. And the couch on the left is very intriging. As much as I don’t love the pieces individually I do like the room. Odd.

via Design New England

shopping etsy

I think this would be adorable in a little girls room.

Etsy via The Love Shop

shopping etsy

How adorable is this equestrian riding helmet. Will someone please snatch this up! I’d love to buy it but….