Have a Fantastic, Relaxing Long Weekend!

How gorgeous is our family friend's front yard?? We went over to their fabulous house for dinner over Mother's Day Weekend and I gasped when I saw their flowers.  I had to share it with y'all! 

Before, I give y'all my links I want to say a big congratulations to my husband, Kip for all of his hard work raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man and Woman of the Year Campaign.  He ended up being first runner-up!!

Y'all, fundraising is hard work and I have so much respect for people who do this for a living or just because that's what they do.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is such an amazing organization that really has changed people's lives.  Kip and I have been lucky not to be directly affected by this disease, but we certainly have lots of friends who have been touched by or lost loved-ones to some form of blood cancer.  

What really got me were the images of the children in hospital beds undergoing treatment.  Every child was Edward in those pictures, and, well, it felt like my heart was in a vice and it was all I could do to keep it together.  (I didn't keep it together, for the record, not at all)  I know those parents pray every day for cures, and I know Kip was motivated to play a small part in answering those prayers.  I'm so proud to be married to him.  

I hope y'all have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and take some extra time to squeeze your loved ones!

*** Super Special Thanks to Ashley Pittman and GalleryDirect.com who graciously donated fabulous auction items to Kip's Campaign.  Y'all are the best! ***

Blue and White Porcelain Plate Wallpaper

I love these earrings for summer

Lots of memorial day sales, including this one from Orient Expressed -
gonna get me some smocked goodness for my littles y'all

Post-baby Bod Inspiration - it will happen
*I plan to get thereby pretending I'm a celebrity who's been offered a huge post-baby weight loss endorsement deal a la Jessica Simpson. I will be reporting to y'all from the front lines come September ;)

This front door

This stacked book look is happening all over my house

Didn't know this about my gut - interesting

Good tips for arranging pillows on sofas

More of Mark D. Sikes stunning Legends Window!

Drunk Tank Pink - I could have told anyone this bit of color theory - pink rules

Some lovely pool houses

18th Century East Hampton Cottage

A super fun bridge tournament room

Can't wait to try this smoothie snack

and this kale Caesar salad

scalloped sheet goodness

More pretties from TRADhome Spring 2013

Morning y'all! As I promised yesterday, here are some more pretties I spotted in the TRADhome Spring 2013 issue.  Definitely go check it out.  They profiled 10 new designers to watch and some of them were new to me, which is always fun.  I just pulled some of the images that initially caught my eye.

Like, this pretty closet by Ginger Brewton

Along the same color lines, a simple, but pretty entry vignette by Summer Thornton

A gallery wall from Frances Merrill

Also from Frances Merrill this landing area in gray-green, lilac and pink, which somehow looks completely neutral

And this gorgeous outdoor dining area

Heyy tranquil reading nook, how you doin'?

Then designer Julie Goldman hits us with the most welcoming front door ever.

And finally, we get the most beautiful kitchen cabinets I think I've ever seen from designer Andrew Howard, son of Phoebe and Jim Howard - my faves.  

I mean, just gorgeous.  Way to end on a high note!

Hope you enjoyed! 

Colorful Beach House in TRADhome

* Y'all this post took forever as I waited about one minute and 45 seconds for each page of the 226 page Spring issue of TRADHome to load (might be my internet).  You're welcome.  In the meantime, Edward ate ice cream for breakfast and watched 4 episodes of the 1970s Godzilla cartoons.  It was worth it though! There were lots and lots of pretties, so this will be a two-parter.

First up, my favorite spread in the issue featuring this fun, bright Coronado Island beach house by Taylor Borsari.  As much as I love a simple all-white clean palette, I have to say this has me craving color and pattern.  

This would be such a happy getaway!

More of my faves tomorrow!

Things I Like: Summahtiiiime ...

This was going to be a Moodboard Monday post, but it didn't look very pretty so now it's just a Things I Like post.  Ok y'all, let's get into my head for just a minute.  I realize I'm about as far from the LBC as one can get, but when I think of Summer, the first thing that pops into my head is The Dove Shack - Summertime in the LBC.





Maybe it's because it reminds me of college when I did summer like a pro - think baby oil and  iodine, rum and slurpees, magazines and Funions.  Now that I'm a grownup those days are long gone.  I'm not sad because I was also really self-involved, poor and a few lbs heavier (see above diet).  Now I'm more into summer decor, non-alcoholic slurpees, keeping Edward from drowning or running into the street, and finding flattering swim-suits for my growing belly.

Ok so here are a few things that I like for summer:
(This is totally random so just bear with me)

Kelly Wearstler's boxwoods in white planters 

Lonny - May 2013

 Tasseled Tent Action & Geraniums

House and Garden circa 1939 (!) via The Paris Apartment

This indignant looking pelican - reminds me of Edward.

GalleryDirect.com

This Target swimsuit covers my belly even though it's not maternity (I actually think buying regular non-maternity swimwear is the key to finding cute prego swimwear).  It's super flattering and keeps me more contained than a maternity suit would, especially since I'm feeling more Kim Kardashian-pregnant than Kate Middleton-pregnant lately. 

This striped beach towel from Anthropologie - I mean, love.

This ikat pillow (and it's lover) needs to come live with me for the summer.

 I even revised my bedroom moodboard to accommodate him:

See there was a moodboard after all!

Alrighty, that's all I have for today.  Try to have a good Monday!!

xo

Have a lovely weekend y'all!

Morning y'all! Just a few links today as I've been too busy/tired to catch up on all my blog reading.  I don't know what I'm going to do when Google Reader disappears.  I have a great system for saving my favorite posts and Google is totally messing it up.  Any suggestions?  

On another note, I'm hoping to get some flowers planted this weekend.  I'm very inspired by all the color around us on our trip to Palm Springs (see above).  Normally, I love the simplicity of white flowers with a lot of greenery, but after experiencing so much white over the winter, I think this spring/summer is going to be all about color.  Last night, Kip came in from sitting outside and declared, "I love our back yard!"  It made me so happy.  It's nice to be in a space you love.  Our backyard is like a little jewel box thanks to the previous owners who used plants and trees over the course of 25 years to create a little privacy.  Our goal is to keep it up as well as they did. 

Have a lovely weekend!

This children's book about a Spoon is so cute and Edward loves it because it mentions ice cream

Love this gorgeous living room reveal

Pretty, neutral (inexpensive) chinoiserie pillow

This yoga bag also makes an awesome diaper bag  

I'm starting to realize I need to get organized for Little Robertson, these diaper bag pouches will help

Tracy Anderson's new studio designed by Windsor Smith is pretty amaze

Ikat and suzani pillow covers for a steal

THE CUTEST celebrity toddlers

Beautiful Blue & White Tablescape

If I lived in New Orleans, I'd be all over this house

Parisian Hideaways

The Loveliest Vignette

I hate to gush.  Actually, who am I kidding, I love to gush.  Especially when it comes to Mark D. Sikes.  I love him.  I love his blog, I love his house, and I really love his Instagram.  Last week he posted some Instas of the gorgeous window he designed for Mecox LA and the 2013 Legends of La Cienega Event, and I freaked out.  I couldn't stop looking at it. 

I mean, it's just so, sooo pretty!  If you're not following him on Instagram you're definitely missing out.  If you're not following me on Instagram, you're only kind of missing out ;)

Have a lovely day!

Happy Birthday to The Suze!!!

Happy Birthday Mama! Without you there would be no Belclaire House. Thank you for always inspiring me and teaching me to dream big. May your birthday be filled with lots of blue and white and bubbly! I love you!