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Here's to my mom and dad who got married 38 years ago today and whose get away car was a VW Bug similar to this one... I love you two. 

Fern & Flora Wednesday: Feeling Patriotic

The berries I had for breakfast this morning got me thinking about creating Fourth of July accessories that would  work for wear all summer long. Thus I created these bright and cheerful clips that would make a perfect accessory for Independence Day, a day at the park or on the boat (they do have a nautical vibe, no?). 

View more images of these warm weather pretties right here. 

Tasty Tuesday: Down Home Loosemeat Sandwiches

After church on Sunday, I was trying to figure out what to do with the pound of ground turkey I had in my freezer, when I got a hankerin' for a good old loose meat (or sometimes called Made Rite) sandwich. Occasionally, as a kid, when my mom (who was a health food nut) would relent, my dad would take my sisters and me to a place called B&G's where they had THE BEST loose meat sandwiches. They would serve them up in red plastic baskets and oh they were tasty. Apparently, it's a Midwest thing, 'cause ever since we moved to Colorado, I haven't been able to find a place that serves them. 

After Sunday though, I shall be making my own every now and again thanks to a google search that turned up this recipe. It's super easy, fast and deeelish. I left out the lard it calls for as well as the two teaspoons of salt on the bottom of the pan, and as mentioned before, used lean ground turkey instead of beef. I popped in the onions, mustard, agave nectar instead of sugar, a splash of vinegar, sea salt and pepper to taste, served 'em up on whole wheat buns and me-oh-my, they were mighty tasty (and not too unhealthy). I threw a garden salad together and made some Yukon gold oven fries with olive oil and sea salt to make it a real burger and fry experience but without most of the guilt. 

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Spaces to Inspire: The Glorious Kitchen

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Things are moving along nicely with the home we're hoping to purchase. There were a few major issues discovered  during our inspection on Saturday, but we are optimistic that they will be resolved and we're hoping to close around the end of July! Yippee! 

So my mind is whirling with ideas about the kitchen, which will be the first space we tackle, should everything go well. In the taste department, I generally land between a cottage-y country/vintage aesthetic - lots of natural light with soft and neutral colors, farm sink, clean cabinet profiles but not too mod, perhaps some bead board or subway tile with pops of color... Number 7 makes my heart swoon and I love the cheerfulness of number 2. 

Where do you turn for kitchen inspiration? I'm compiling ideas, so if you have any favorite resources, do tell! 

Out With the Old (and in with just a little new....)

Revealing the inside of my bathroom cabinet (or any cabinet for that matter) is not typical for me on this blog. It borders on the overly personal and possibly gross. But! Last week I blogged about how, as we get ready to move, I wanted to get more organized and throw things away (see blog post here). And I quote: "Today I'm going to tackle the cabinet under the sink in our bathroom. Wish me luck." And so I did. It may not look that much better to you (I did apply a filter to soften the undeniable ugliness of the photos in general) but you have no idea how happy I feel when I open the cabinet door and see  my lotions, potions and scrubs standing all nicely in a plastic tray or my a-hem, feminine products looking sort of cute in a surprising way in a glass jar...  I remembered that I had a whole bag of metal pails I used for flower arrangements in the basement and they just happened to be  the right size and shape to use for excess make up and q-tips. 

I also managed to take a whole trash bag full or old clothes, belts, dresses, etc to the Good Will yesterday along with a couple of purses and some other junk. Talk about a pick me up!

On the reverse side of things (and maybe because I managed to get rid of so much stuff this week), I had to sneak over to an estate sale this morning. I already confessed to the husband. Went for costume jewelry, left with two vintage hat boxes (great for storage!) a funky, retro table cloth, 4 pale green snack trays with magnolias painted on them and a bulletin board, all for about $15 bucks... 

Now I have to go get rid of more stuff to make up for it or all my hard work is immediately cancelled out by my inability to ignore said estate sale. It's a vicious cycle I tell you....

Happy Weekend friends (and I beseech you - get rid of the clutter and junk you don't want for truly lovely things that will add some joy to your spaces. It does the heart good!)

Is anyone else having trouble with blogger today? Loading pictures was virtually impossible...

I wanted to post a bit of summer inspiration from my shop hours ago when I was feeling motivated... Anyway, here you have some bright and cheerful accessories that are all 20% off! That's right, I'm still running the 20% off sale so get it while they gettin's good. Check out my shop for all the details!

And now for the house update: On Monday,we put an offer in on a place we found over the weekend and within hours, it had been accepted! Hooray! This is a much different experience than last time when we waited nearly 10 days only to get a "no." Inspections are set for this weekend and if all goes according to plan, we should be able to close by the end of July! The house is a dandy of a starter home for us and Ike and I are pretty darn excited!
 



Weekend Recap

It was a beautiful weekend in our neck of woods. Breezy and warm but not too hot. Just the way we like it. 

We went out for Thai (a new place we'd never been) on Friday night and had some really tasty (and tightly rolled-hate it when they fall apart mid bite) spring rolls that were mighty fresh and basil-y. I had the best green curry but poor Ike had less success with the Jungle Curry. The flavor was delish, but the spice factor was off the charts. Guess the name should have tipped us off...  

After house hunting on Saturday (I think we might have found something!) we took in some sun at a near by park. He read a book while I paged through, what else, but old issues of Domino. Gotta keep the creative ideas coming - especially since we've decided to go for round two and put an offer in on a 1970s ranch we found. It's actually kind of cute but knocking down a wall or two will make it even better... More to come on that!

Also, I feel compelled to share with you this treasury that I made Saturday night inspired by Betty Draper from Mad Men. Mainly I'm posting it because I spent a ridiculous amount of time putting it together and posting it doesn't make me feel so bad for wasting all that time...

How was your weekend? Did you get to laze about at the park too?

Friday DeClutter: Everything Must Go!

As much as I love to estate sale on Fridays, and thrift and garage sale every other day, the possibility of a move in my future (and the need to save moolah too) demands that I kick the habit (for a little while anyway) and get rid of the junk, the stuff, the clutter! 

I can't seem to get a grip on my crafting loft. The mounds of fabric swatches, hem tape, receipts, beads. Argh! I'm such a messy crafter. Nor can I face the mess that is my closet. There's a big box in there that I haven't opened to two years. I don't even know what's in there. Yikes. So, instead of hauling home stuff on Fridays, Friday will become a declutter day where hopefully, I can tackle small sections of our abode one cupboard at a time... 

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Images like this inspire me to get organized!

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What a pick-me-up it would be every time you open up this neat little suitcase...

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A truly organized and user-friendly (not to mention glamorous!) closest. Swoon.

If you find yourself swimming in clutter, join in the fun and lets clear the crap together! What'd ya say?

Today I'm going to tackle the cabinet under the sink in our bathroom. Wish me luck. 

(and a happy clutter-free weekend to you!)

Etsy Love: Trisha Brink Design

Just thought I'd share some gorgeousness from Trisha Brink Design, another talented artist found via Etsy.

Her color palette is right up my ally. Aquas, greens, deep pinks... yup.

How pretty would this photo be in a glossy gray frame hanging near a dressing table? Wish I had a dressing table come to think of it... I need to get on that...

In addition to the dressing table, add a really chipped metal mail box to the wish list - one spilling with garden roses preferably... 

Hope your day is lovely

Fern & Flora Wednesday: For the Bride and Beyond

I've been in a nice crafting groove lately. Bullet (my imaginary crafting pony who I reference when I need to "saddle up and get to work") and I have been spending some quality time together (that, and I've been catching up on The Bachelorette via Hulu whilst I craft. SUCH a guilty pleasure. I can't believe I'm even telling you now) and I'm getting lots done actually. It also helps that Ike (a.k.a. the mister) has helped me set some crafting goals and is holding me to them. 

So I've been adding some bridal pieces to the mix as well as pieces for every day like the gray rosettes on the top left. What's not to love about gray rosettes? Wear 'em day in and day out, year round, here and there... 

And have I mentioned I love a nice custom order? Friends getting married? Need something snazzy to finish out your ensemble? Email me (see email addy on side bar) or contact me through my Etsy shop. I'd love to help a sister out! 

Tasty Tuesday: Butter Blossoms

Why I'm blogging about butter cookies when my to-do list is a mile long today is well... actually no surprise. 

I can't help it. I found this shop while doing what I do best and with utter faithfulness (browsing Etsy shops) last night and wanted to share the lovely photos and yummy sounding flavors with you. 

It was this image of the zesty pink grapefruit ginger cookie that pulled me in first... 

How pretty are these for a summer garden party?

They even have father's day offerings that come in manly packaging. 

Check out all the tasty treats from Butter Blossoms right here. 

The Search Continues...

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Hello friends. Been busy 'round these parts. My other job (that usually doesn't provide many hours) kept me busy last week, thus preventing me from updating you on the house situation. Really, there's not much to say except that our offer wasn't accepted on that cute two story with the wood floors and fire place... Wah wah. We found out via email Thursday night. I felt sort of disappointed about it, but then again, I wasn't letting myself think too much about it so as not to have my house hopes completely dashed. The mister didn't seem too distraught. I think his exact words were "well ok." 

And so we keep looking! We went out Saturday for another round and didn't find much. On the bright side, the longer we stay in our current place, the longer I don't have to go through closets and cupboards and begin to pack up all of our crap! I love the idea of having a really real home of our own, where we can paint and knock down walls and make permanent changes and do all that sort of stuff without having to ask permission, but the thought of physically moving makes me sort of ill. I suppose the longer I have to prepare myself for it, the better.... 

So that's my news. What's yours? 

I like this: Foxglove

Ever since I happened across these glorious Foxglove plants at Albertson's grocery store (of all places -who knew Albertson's was carrying high quality affordable perennials?!), I've been thinking about gardening and how much fun it will be to have a back yard where I can create some perennial beds. My mom and I used to work together to beautify my parents' flower beds back home but it's been a while - too long actually, since I've done any planting of my own and if the house we're hoping to purchase, becomes a reality, you'll know where to find me...

Anyway, Foxglove has been a favorite cottage garden flower of mine ever since I got into English gardens, back when I was about 15 thanks to movies like Emma (the one with Gwyneth Paltrow, where Mrs. Bates has a lovely garden outside her humble cottage), magazines like Victoria (Remember that one? I think it's back in publication now actually... ) and my late, great Uncle Steve. 

Here's some foxglove inspiration for you: 

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Do you have a favorite garden flower at the moment? 

Still Waiting...

No word on the house situation as of yet. Tomorrow it will be one week since we put in our offer. Come on bank people! I'd like to get the party started or just move on... 

In the mean time, I'm trying not to think too much about it. Limit the scheming. Limit the dreaming. Don't want to be too sad when it doesn't pan out. I have however, been thinking about jazzing up a home in general and have to turned to, what else, but old Domino (sniff) magazines. There's so much inspiration to be found.. 

If and when we get into a house of our own, you better believe I'll be paging my way through all the old splendid issues from Dominos of yesteryear for inspiration. Stay tuned!  

Food Glorious (Summertime) Food

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So the days are getting hotter around here (and pretty much every where else in the northern hemisphere, I suspect) but that's okay because it means we can grill out lots and lots and eat on the patio under our big umbrella, which I love. I'm just really stoked for summer time eats people! The berries! The melons! The tomatoes! The corn on the cob! Bring it on...

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Happy noshing this weekend friends! 

Etsy Love: No Place Like Home

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I've got houses and homes and place to live on the brain. I've mentioned here and there that we've been on the hunt for a home to buy for a while now. Well... we found one that met all the criteria in terms of location, potential cuteness, adequate space, neighborhood, back yard, (and it has a fireplace!). It also happens to be close to my favorite grocery store and a thrift store (which has become almost a  necessity and not just a desire - what can I say?). So, we put in an offer on Tuesday! Yep. That's right. However, we're not the only ones who liked this place, so we're competing with a few other potential buyers. I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm planning on it not working out. Not trying to be a Negative Nancy - just a realist.  But if it does, well that would really be nice! I will keep you posted friends....

In the mean time, look at all this cute house-y stuff:

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