Pretty Little Girl

Flowers and sparkles and ponies and pink...

A few of my friends have had babies over the past year, and a lot of them have been adorable baby girls.



While Brian and I are not quite ready to be parents just yet, we've been loving seeing our friends' babies grow. We're pretty much surrounded by cuteness.
I would like to introduce you to baby Ruth. Isn't she adorable?



Every time I see her she is giggling and wanting to snuggle, and I can't stop taking photos of her - she's just so darn cute! She is one of the most affectionate, social babies I've ever seen!

I pretty much have baby fever right now.

For those of you who are parents - what's your favorite thing about being a parent? And for those of you who aren't, but want to - what are you most looking forward to about becoming a parent?

Childhood Favorites

Laughing at happy movies with a hot chocolate in hand...
Scrambling down the beach with bucket and spade in tow...
Picking fresh herbs from Grandma's Garden...

I have a lot of fond childhood memories.
This is our niece and nephews last week visiting with us, and we are hoping to create some happy childhood memories for them. I want them to think back to this summer with fond memories - "remember that fun summer we spent at Uncle Brian and Aunt Dionne's place back when we were little?" I would love for that to be something they say to each other some day.

In addition to taking them to lots of fun places, and teaching them lots of fun new activities, we're also introducing them to some of our favorite childhood movies. The movies that they're used to are Transformers and Pixar movies, so we want to introduce them to some old favorites. Mary Poppins, Lady & The Tramp. Last night we watched Home Alone 2 (I know this isn't necessarily a classic, but I loved it when I first saw it, and knew they would too).

What are some of your favorite childhood movies?

Weekend Bliss

What do you do on weekends to relax?



Our apartment complex is a pretty good place to unwind. They have built a mini beach jutting into a pond with little tiki huts and beach chairs, and the swimming pool has a fun little swim-up bar. We often don't really use these amenities, but with our niece and nephew staying with us for a few weeks, we've been spending a lot of time there.



We spent the weekend relaxing at the pool, making parfaits, having breakfast in the outdoor kitchen with friends, and just enjoying an uncluttered weekend.

What's your favorite way to relax?

June

I love bags. Handbags, clutches, purses, pouches - basically anything pretty that can hold my things.



My love for bags seems to reach it's pinnacle every summer. I guess it's because there are more colors in the warmer months, so there's a lot more to choose from. I also find that I use more bags this time of year. I have pouches in my car for change, since I am out and about more and need change for parking. I also use a pouch for my sunglasses, or my little mini sunscreen bottles. I recently came across the store Junie Babie, and it has cute little pouches, just perfect for my little summer extras.


June's store is filled with her textile handiwork - from bags to pouches to pillows, all with fun summer colors. She has been sewing since she was a little girl, learning on her mother's old, heavy sewing machine - making little dresses for her dolls and then moving on to making scrunchies when she outgrew playing with dolls. In high school she made herself a skirt made of men's ties.



June tells me that her inspiration is her children who help her to embrace the color in her life. Part of why she opened her Etsy store was so that she could follow her love for sewing, while still spend time with her girls. In addition to sewing and spending time with her kidlets, she also likes reading, watching movies, gardening, hiking and biking.

June is generously giving away a pouch to one lucky reader. To enter, leave a comment here telling me that your favorite summer color is, and which of her pouches you'd like if you won (non limited-edition). I will announce the winner next week.

(PS. The winner of the Celina Mancurti giveaway is Tender Branson, congrats!)

Let Them Eat Cake

I have had a LOT of cake the last few days.

We have our niece and nephew staying with us for three weeks from Florida, and it was my niece's birthday yesterday. Needless to say, I baked a cake. A Neapolitan cake with lots of lovely ruffles.



And a few days before that, I went out for dessert with a friend and had my cake fix then too.



What is your favorite flavor cake?

Lovely Vintage

Cotton and burlap and buttons and embroidery... Vintage lace and antique linen...
I really love the artistry and handiwork of vintage textiles, don't you?


Celina Mancurti is a fabulous textile artist who gives vintage linens an updated touch - I love how she blends the old and new.



Her pieces have this nostalgic feel to them, but yet also have a whimsical quality to them. I would love to adorn my table with these - they're all so gorgeous! Her love for bright colors is evident when you look through her store - warm colors like reds and yellows, and the contrast of pure white.




Celina is inspired by everyday simple life and the stories that she has read and heard. From there she translates her thoughts or feelings into her journal to preserve the freshness of that moment that can then be carried across into her work. She is also inspired by her many hobbies - visiting galleries, checking out craft shows, frequenting coffee shops - and she keeps business cards from all the places she visits!

Another one of her favorites is a dessert called "Mil Hojas", which means "A Thousand Layer Cake". It is a circular cake made of thin puff pastry and filled with dulce de leche and then covered in Italian meringue. Doesn't that sound heavenly?!

Celina is generously giving away something from her store to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me about a nostalgic item you own, and which out of the last three items pictured in this post you'd like if you won. I will announce the winner next week.

(PS. The winners of the Thank You Card Shop giveaway are Kris, Jess and Kaytee. Congrats!)

Typewriter Love

Brian thinks I am collecting too many things now.

I collect teacups, and vintage plates, and now I've decided to collect typewriters. I guess typewriters are a bulky thing to collect, and they take up a lot of space - but I love them!



They remind me of old love letters, and I love the dainty yet mechanical look to them.



I only have two so far, and can't wait to collect more! My latest one is this cute blue one that I found at The Krickett's Jewel. My first one is here if you want to check it out. My plan is to eventually get a bookcase with cubbies like this (but with thicker wood and in a natural farmhouse brown color) and put a typewriter in each space, so I am on the lookout for typewriters from different eras in different colors. So much fun!

Vintage Frills & Flowers

It's no secret that I'm a freak for vintage.

So of course when Ashley from Recollection Vintage invited me to their Open House, I was thrilled!

They have a GORGEOUS collection of vintage furniture and accessories, and it's all set up in a beautiful old house in Houston.

At the Open House there were lots of pretty desserts and delicious appetizers - I wanted to stay all day! Such a lovely little soiree, and a really great group of women who worked behind-the-scenes to bring it all together.


They've been collecting for years and now have their lovely collection available for rent for parties, weddings, photoshoots - whatever you can think up. I am so glad that they've opened up in Houston!