Wedding Bells and Summer Fun

10-10-10

One of my best friends is getting married. This means after months of planning, reserving, and stressing we are getting down to the final hour. While I'm just a bridesmaid, the maid (matron?) of honor is totally lacking. She hasn't planned a darn thing yet. I mean no bridal shower, no bachelerotte party, nothing. We are less than 3 months away and the bride is freaking out because she thinks she isn't going to have any of these traditional moments.

Here come my sister and I to save the day. My sister rocks but like every family, we argue... alot. After a few minutes of total disagreement her and I get on the same page and we get down to details.

We have a decent location for the bridal shower. Check. We have ideas for decorations (FYI the dollar store is killer for this). Check. We have participation from all of the bridal party. No Go. Not only is the maid of honor not doing her duty, only one other bridesmaid has responded to our many attempts at discussion.

A nice restaurant with a lounge, bar, and some good family connections for a discount!

We are working on it. More updates to come.

I saw a picnic suitcase online the other day and fell in love. For some reason I did not save the image, but it was easy enough to find some really cute ones through google.

Super cute right?

While looking I found what I thought were DIY instructions for repurposing an old suitcase into, but didn't actually include any of the instructions. And that was it. I am a little lost, no one has made a suitcase picnic basket? This has got to be easy enough. I am almost tempted to try it myself.

Wouldn't it make a really sweet wedding gift? Something creative and thoughtful.

In other news, Jersey Shore makes it much anticipated comeback tonight! I managed to catch the episode where Snookie takes a punch to the face, but they blacked it out. My sister, my cousin, and a bunch of friends plan on hooking up the projection screen outside so we can watch the premiere of Season 2 outside on the side of the garage.

Kind of like this!

It's like our own private drive in. One more reason I love summer.

It's been awhile...

So here's how it goes...

I had this great idea for a posting about my favorite street I've ever seen. It's called Shirley Blvd. and this is what it looks like...

I have family that lives not on the street, but in the area and not so affectionally call it Shirley expletive Blvd. because the resident's are slightly stuck up. My cousin also refers to this street as the nicest one in the ghetto. Personally, I think they have every right to be snooty.

You can see it in all it's tree-lined glory why I would want to dedicate an entire post to it. Life means the second I get this idea, my camera malfunctions. And by malfunction I mean when I turn it on all that came up was, "Len's Error". After Googling the topic to death I found that it's repairable, but generally not a good option because it's cheaper to just buy a new one.

Awesome.

So I sat down with one of those teeny tiny screwdriver kits and took apart my camera piece by piece. This one to be exact...

Yes I just happen to have it around...

After 3 hours, which made me more sympathetic to those who have to wear glasses, I turned on my camera and it worked! I mean I literally had my camera in pieces, blew onto a few different ones that looked important and VOILA! It only took me about 2 weeks to get around to it too. Ugh!

So of course the very next day I found myself driving down Shirley Blvd. with my boyfriend in the passenger seat calling my a stalker.

Here is some of the gloriousness that is Shirley Blvd... enjoy!

In the world of me... the library is important, so this one literally at the end of Shirley Blvd. is perfect.

Sorry for the slight crookedness, but here is how Shirley Blvd. starts... with a bang! Each side has a room, the right is a true sunroom (all windows), and the left has a bight more brickwork and halfwalls, but still tons of light. As you can almost see the roof of the room on the left doubles as a patio. This house has looked empty for months and I cannot figure it out... but it adds some mystery to it!

Interesting choice with the second peak. It's shingled just like the roof and adds something to the house. (I'm still not sure I love it, but I've never seen anything similar to it, so it was post worthy)

Beautiful Brick Porch. A little overgrown in the front, but I've got a porch obsession.

This picture makes me a little sad because you can't really see my favorite part... which is the surround on the top mini-window. It must have been copper originally because it has this great aged green look and is absolutely stunning. The rest of the house is nothing super special, but that one tiny piece makes all the difference.

I love a house with a breeze-way. This is right next door to the house above and boy do they compliment each other well.

This is the end of Shirley Blvd. A little bit of white picket fence goodness.

So here is the deal... I didn't even take half the pictures I could have. And once I explained the reasoning for the pictures, my boyfriend encouraged me to go back on foot and take better pictures. We currently live about 5 minutes away and I intentionally drive down this street at least once a week. (Boyfriend is muttering the background that this is a lie, it is actually more).

There is something so wonderful about this street. Maybe that half of it lies against a pond (in the backyards), so there are some water views. Maybe it's the many different styles of architecture and building. Maybe it's the fact that it is literally tree-lined. Or maybe it's the library at the end. My goal is to live on Shirley Blvd. someday. This freaks boyfriend out because he has an ex whose parents live on the street. He will just have to get over it.

I have a lot more to fill you in on, add ons to my wish list. A real grown up job, my very first one, and summer activities galore. But for now, just sit back and enjoy Shirley Blvd. Maybe I will do a walking trip and share some more!

Design Style

What got me started blogging was From the Right Banks What's your style in one picture contest. While I am still on the lookout for my style in one picture... this quiz by Sproost helped me narrow it down. And to be honest, I think they might be right on.

So I'm apparently...

55% Traditional Country

Image via Sproost quiz via My Home Ideas

27% Nantucket Style

Image via Sproost quiz via Traditional Home

18% Classic

Image via Sproost quiz via Sunset

This photo was listed under Classic, but I think it's the perfect marriage of the three styles

Image via Sproost quiz via Sunset

The photo's I like to post up here are things I find beautiful and inspiring, but not always rooms I can picture myself living in. I mean really, all that navy in that last post was beautiful and elegant, but do I want my home to be that calculated and planned? Not so much. I like the more comfortable lived in style of country, the beachy-ness of Nantucket (which by the way is one of my favorite places to go), and the formal-ness of classic (even though it's not entirely realistic).

The marriage of these three styles is what realllly makes my heart sing. These photo's will all go into the Someday for my dream home folder.

This entry into From the Right Banks contest is super close to what I would call my own style in one picture...

Designed by Bear Hill Interiors out of Arkansas

It's more the Nantucket Style, but it goes from bright on the dining side into soothing on the living side. Don't think I could realistically do a white couch, but man oh man does this image make me happy. A few touches of dark wood on the ceiling (I'm a sucker for beams) and maybe a touch darker on the flooring and I'm in heaven.

I am one lucky gal to have found the blog's that I have come across so far... but most especially Shannon at What's Up Whimsy. Not only do I find her posts truly inspiring, I love the links she posts, the blogs she follows, and her recent giveaway (which I won). You don't have to be good at blogging to find great ideas and win beautiful things. I'm really looking forward to see this gorgeous bag in person!

Thanks again Shannon! :)

That's all for today!

Heat Wave

For those of you who haven't had to deal with this obnoxious heat wave... you're so lucky! In the past few days it has repeatedly hit 100 and been absolutely miserable out, lots of humidity. In that time I've...

Gone swimming in the (finally opened) pool

I only wish it looked like this one by Martha Stewart

Went to the beach

This is the actual beach! I'm so lucky to live near the ocean

Spent a full day in the nice air conditioned movie theatre

Actually wore the glasses for Toy Story 3D, didn't need them for Eclipse (2 movies in 1 day)

Go Team Edward

Been sick... No need for pictures of that.

And I've also neglected this blog. Here is where I fix that one.

I have spent some time each day checking out my ever growing list of blogs to look at daily, but haven't had the time or energy to create my own entry.

Looking through my collection of photo's I'm seeing a certain pattern... or should I say color. Navy Blue! Lots and lots of navy blue blue. Here goes...

I forget where this came from... Still working on being organized

I know it's not really navy, but I love the coziness :)

This I am stealing from Southern Exposure Go check out the other photo's of this room

Not entirely sure I could do a navy nursery, but that fabric draped on the wall is beautiful

Pure Style Home

A comfortable and airy blue bedroom

I've seen it somewhere else but this is the only link I could find

That navy blue wall is high gloss and absolutely awesome

Borrowed from Holly Goes Lightly

There is probably some etiquette I'm supposed to follow as far as borrowing all these images, but until I figure more of this out I'll just go with links!

Websites I visit daily (and you should too)

These are a few of my favorite things (Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things)

Catalog Living

It's a very humorous look at those very posed rooms we all love so much.

Ruminations

Some very interesting day to day thoughts by some very interesting people.

Awkward Family Photo's

Exactly what it sounds like... and you thought your family was bad.

LiveStrong

A great way to keep track of health and exercise!

NastyGal

Not what you're thinking (Get your mind outta the gutter). It's a great site with some real cute CLOTHES!

Boston Red Sox

We may not be in 1st now, but we've got heart.

Where it began, I can't begin to know when

But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo

And spring became the summer

Which Book

My state has an online library database that you can use to reserve books to whichever location you'd like to pick them up and I use it constantly. This means that I know my library card number by heart. I almost posted that site, but decided to give you readers out there a more universal option. It tells you what book you should read based on what you like... give it a try.

That's all for today folks!

Laundry... Shoot!

One of my least favorite chores is LAUNDRY! Growing up my washer and dryer was in the basement and my bedroom was on the the second floor. That makes for a very long trip and a very annoying day. I was of course one of those kids who had to do her own laundry and I, also of course, always waited until I ran out of clean underwear. Inevitably I spent and entire day waiting for the timer to go off so I could go switch it over and carry the clean clothes allllll the way back upstairs. I know 2 floors isn't all that much, but with thousands of pounds (haha) of laundry it seemed like forever.

One of my good friends had a laundry chute in their house, a genius idea that I wish my parents would have been convinced of! Here is a modern take on the old school hole in the floor...

Here is the top of the chute... (It's hidden, but still cute and hard for kids to fall down)

And here is where your dirty laundry lands...

Talk about a stylish hassle-free way to get around the many floors of weight lifting. Lately it seems the popular thing to do is to put the "laundry room" (who needs a whole room?) on the same floor as the bedrooms. Not a bad idea, but the laundry chute just calls to me.

I'm still on the lookout for an easy way to create a laundry lift! If I could eliminate the clean clothes being carried back up I'd be totally sold on the lower level laundry area. Any ideas?

Another way I see my future laundry space being improved is color! Many appliance's have been brought into the 21st century with a big dose of color...

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but that red is gorgeous. I'm usually a blue or green kind of girl, but something about that red screams elegance. Who doesn't want there least favorite chore to suddenly become something extravagant? Hopefully I hit the lottery soon.

In this new generation of thinking green and being raised by someone who stated that "If the air conditioners were in the windows then the dryer better not be on" I'm a clothes line enthusiast. I came across this indoor laundry drying system by Laundry Lift and I have fallen in laundry love.

Not only is it easy to hang 30 lbs. of laundry, but it's smart! Heat rises and by putting the clean clothes up near the ceiling they are utilizing that warm air, while being kept out of the way. So cool.

Looks like I might need a whole room for laundry after all.

So here comes my dilemma... better to have the laundry on the lower floor or on the same floor as the bedrooms? What if you have bedrooms on multiple levels? My poor future husband better be handy!

Here's to life! :)