Open-toe Flats

The season is here for ballet flats! I love wearing ballet flats, but my feet are so swollen that all my flats are tight, so I'm still wearing flip flops even when it's raining outside. But it doesn't mean I can't drool over these darling open-toe flats.

Chinese Laundry Sweet Caroline

Kate Spade Bow--my friend was wearing these the other day with black skinny jeans and they looked so cute.

Report Kimball2--solid and stripes

Apple Picking '10

We went a few weeks ago to an local apple farm. The hay ride and apple picking experience was alot of fun, but I was disappointed on how expensive they charged per bag. It wasn't a great deal. I could of bought a bag of apples at the grocery store for much cheaper. So, we didn't pick enough apples to make my year-worth of applesauce. Next time, I'm going to make the hour drive to the orchard. You get a lot and pay a little.

Party Resources

I've been getting everything ready for Stella's tea party this weekend. While I've been searching for ideas, I've come across alot of great party websites that I've bookmarked for future use. Here are a few of my favorite:

Beau-coup--fine favors and gifts

Butterfly Craze--complete themed party kits

Make It Mine Parties--the cutest party centerpieces and party hats. Most can be personalized.

Polka Dot Market--darling banners, balloons and paper lanterns

The Party Studio--tableware decor, invitation

{image by Laura Winslow for The TomKat Studio}

Amanda's Jalapano Poppers

At last. My six jalapeno plants are producing. Since this is the first time planting peppers, I wasn't sure how many jalapenos I would get from each plant. Let's just say...next year I need to only plant one instead of six. So, the other night I made Amanda's jalapeno poppers. They were divine and not too unhealthy. Here's the simple recipe:

Preheat oven to 350. Slice in half and hollow out (seeds and membranes) about 10-15 jalapenos. Make sure to wear gloves. Take 6 ounces cream cheese (soften) and mix in about 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese. Spoon mixture into each jalapeno half. Cut bacon strips and then wrap around each jalapeno. Secure with toothpick and place on a lightly grease baking sheet. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes. Great for an appetizer.

Bathroom Done!

Sorry guys...is it already the end of the week? Where did it go? I had some posts to put up, but that got neglected. The good news for me is that my bathroom is done and it's clean and beautiful. A room to now enjoy.

We ended up keeping the tub, and I spent an afternoon scrubbing all the stains with Lime Out. Seriously, I scrubbed until my hands were raw, but it worked. And it now looks new. I'm so glad we decided to keep it because that tub style is very hard to find. And I'm glad that we didn't have to re glaze the tub. After doing some research we found out that it's not so great with children and everyday use.

Since we had to re-pipe the whole bathroom, I had them take out the large radiator and move the sink to that opposite wall. Good decision because we acquired more vanity space. We put a toe-kick heater in place of the radiator, which is located under the vanity.

I bought many of the fixtures from Vintage Tub--great online resource if you want the vintage bathroom look or need to replace vintage bathroom pieces. Prices are good. Below is a list of other resources and before pictures.

Honeycomb Italian Carrara tile (flooring) and subway tiles (shower)--Lima Ceramic Tiles (local)

New window and toilet--Home Depot

Tub faucet/rain shower head/sink faucet/shower curtain rod--Vintage Tub

Sink Vanity and countertop--Restoration Hardware

Medicine Cabinet/towel rod/glass shelf--Restoration Hardware Outlet

Toilet roll holder/single towel ring--Restoration Hardware

Lighting sconces--Lighting Universe

Paint color--Benjamin Moore White N33301 (beadboard and ceiling) and Quiet Moments

Flower Garland

A flower garland is a perfect way to dress up a chair, and it looks so easy to make. Chelsea posted the directions on Project Wedding.

Cupcake Wrapper Co.

As if cupcakes weren't sweet and delicious enough, these wrappers from The Cupcake Wrapper Co. just up'd the cuteness factor. You might have spot these wrappers from some of Amy Atlas's dessert tables. They add that little detail to any party table.

Bathroom Update

Our bathroom is ALMOST done. Some of the finishing details are delaying the process, but it's pretty much done. The toilet is in and bathtub and vanity. It looks really good and completely different...but still the same (in a good way).

Some things that I learned about renovating is make a list! I was very involved in the whole process, and was in charge of getting a lot of the finishing materials. I didn't make a list--just kept everything in my head. Not good because I forgot some of the minor items. Like shower curtain rod (which had to be special ordered) and lighting sconces. Those small things have delayed everything being 100% done. Also, measure out your walls, the size of the shower/tub and anything else. Write it down and take that paper when buying materials. It makes it so you don't have to make multiple trips to the hardware store yet making the whole process delayed.

I found some great online resources. Some of them I'll share next week. But one online resource for very reasonable priced Italian cararra mable was Builder's Depot Direct. They sell very competitive pricing for tile especially Cararra tile. The only thing is you have to consider shipping, but they have a program for lower shipping rates.

Nate Berkus Show

My girlfriend Heidi had an extra ticket to The Nate Berkus Show, which just premiered this week, and she invited me to go with her. Going to tapings of shows are always fun but they are long...like four hours long! But it was worth it to escape my normal day to head into the city to spend time with my good friend and, of course cutie patootie Nate. I have to make a note that I left my house, drove to the city, parked and got to the Nate Berkus audience door in only 45 minutes. That was a record time!

Julianne Moore was his guest. I love her sense of interior design and how she makes sure that everything in her house is childproof. Remember that Domino article featuring her decorating her friend's apartment? Anyway, she was cute and so beautiful! We had front row seats. And I got to shake Nate's hand and he rubbed my belly! Or maybe he just made a comment about my belly. I can't remember! Either way it was quite funny. I'm not sure when that episode airs but if you happen to watch the show, you might get a glimpse of me on the taping with Julianne Moore. Because you are all dying to see me on TV!

Tea Party Invites

During a crazy, madness hectic day, I somehow whipped these invitations up for Stella's tea party in less than an hour. And I LOVE the results. They are so cute! Stella helped by putting a little glitter on the front and back of each invitations. A social butterfly, her party invite list is long. And I really want to cut it down by half but she insists that each girl must be invited because they are her friend. My problem is that we are having it at our house and space is an issue. I wanted to outsource the location but options are limited in the 'burbs. My fingers are cross that the weather will be nice and we can have it outside.

Thirty Something

I'm officially into my 30 somethings. Twenties are long gone. I find myself asking my husband how old I'm turning and he does the same to me. The age thing gets foggier and foggier with every passing year. My birthday was uneventful-- running around doing the usual weekday errands. I had some pressing bathroom renonvation issues I had to take care. And I was planning on catching up that night with orders and house work when a few of my best girlfriends dragged me out of the house for a casual night of girl talk, birthday cake and reality TV. Simply the best. Casual and no pressure. Hanging out with my favorites and staying up way too late. Thanks girls! Love you!

Maine

We went road trippin' this past Labor Day weekend up to Maine with some friends. Eight adults and nine children, we all piled into the LoveSac bus and explored Maine's beaches, which are only an hour north of Boston. The boys hit up surfing one day to catch the waves from the tail-end of Hurricane Earl (although it was just a tropical storm by the time it hit New England). We ate a lot of greasy seafood...it was so good especially the lobster rolls and sweet potato fries. But what was not good was the double chin and extra set of love handles that I brought home with me. No, that is not good since I'm already gaining pregnancy weight.

York beach was one of my favorites. There is a beautiful famous lighthouse, and I love how wide the beach is at low-tide.

Our lousy attempt at a family picture. I've come to accept that it is almost impossible to get a good shot of us.

The LoveSac bus was our mode of transportation. It was a riot! One of our friends owns the furniture company, and the bus so happened to be in town so we decided to take it. The kids loved it because they could lounge and watch movies on a big flat screen TV. It is quite posh inside with shaggy carpet, leopard-print cushions and black curtains. I thought it was hilarious because wherever we went, it drew attention. People thought we were rock stars, chasing and shouting after the bus. Until we opened the door and they saw a bunch of disheveled parents and rowdy children, their dreams of meeting a rock star quickly disintegrated. But we always had a good laugh.

We also went to the local zoo and amusement park and Ogunquit Beach.

Party Kits

It time again for me to start planning another birthday party. My enthusiasm is grim. But I've got a little girl who is counting on me and has taken the time to write out (the best she can) instructions for her upcoming party. I love the party kits over at ACME Party Box. The kits include invitations, decorations, linens, favors and tableware--making it easy to plan an adorable party. I love the idea! Only problem is that they don't have any kits for a little girl who wants a fancy tea party.

Creative Paper

I've bookmarked these paper items from Paper Source for something fabulous in the future. I don't know what, but they look like they could be used for a party or simple decoration around the house.

Royal crown kit

Fall wreath

Cupcake liners

Flower garland

Shop Update

The Klum earrings are now sold out. Thank you to those who placed orders over the weekend and participated in the end-of-summer sale. Some of you asked about the Flavia necklace. This necklace has been sold out for a while. This style was limited.

Tuckered Out

Hope your long weekend was spent well saying adieu to summer. We just got back from spending the weekend up in Maine with friends. It was kind of a last minute trip, but glad we dropped everything and went. There was a lot of going, going, going, which is always the case when you've got little children. Here's a perfect example of us parentals catching a snooze on the Love Sac's bus before we came to our next destination.

PS...in case you forgot, I am largely pregnant.

Local Spots

There are a few places I need to visit around my local area. Whenever something new and different pops up, I get a little excited. It's not often that "cool" stores and restaurants open up in the suburbs. No. If you want urban and chic, head to the NYC.

I had a chance to quickly glance into Make & Mingle one summer day, but couldn't stay to really get a feel of the place. Very darling and crafty inside. They sell pretty fabrics and fun crafts. It's a place where you can also take sewing classes and of course...mingle.

The next store is called Sugar & Olives. It's actually an organic restaurant with a modern, clean aesthetic. No plastic found in this restaurant! All the food is sourced locally, and they serve a variety of lunch crepes and sweet crepes. Cooking classes are also available including children.

First Grade Date

She's been talking about it since the beginning of summer. Bragging to her brothers and then questioning me, "Mom? When are we going on our date?" We started the tradition last year when Stella entered kindergarten--a special mommy/daughter date. Just her and me. Honestly I thought she forgot about it, but apparently not. She remembers everything we did and makes it known to her younger brothers that they can't go on a date with me until they are going into kindergarten. So it's a little bit of a treat.

What did we do? Her number one request was to go get her nails done. Finger and toes. She choose pink nail polish with purple glitter. Then lunch at our favorite deli/salad shop. She was so excited because we got to sit in the big comfy chairs, which we don't get to do when it's the whole clan because the chairs are only for two. Then back-to-school shopping. Big time. I had to put all the back-to-school shopping on hold while I focused on bathroom stuff. Next time I'll know not to do that. I had to go to three different stores just to find a box of 24 crayons! Major pick over.

Her favorite part of clothes shopping was having a say in what she wanted to wear.

Then actually trying on the clothes...in the dressing room.

After clothes shopping, we made a quick stop to her favorite cupcake store before heading home.

Here's the final results. I think she looks adorable. And what's more important is that she had a good first day of school.