Bathroom Lovlies

Just wanted to share these bathroom goodies with you that I happened across from Urban Outfitters.

We're in the midst of remodeling our main bath so I've got shower curtains and tooth brush holders and bath mats on the brain. I especially love that faded rose mat (only $34) and that gray and white chevron shower curtain 

(a mere $44). 

Mountain Weekend & Wintery Etsy Love

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This weekend we're headed up to the mountains for a church retreat. It's not gonna be one of those annoying retreats where you have to bring a bunch of food and pay a bunch of money and spend time with a bunch of people you don't like. Nope. Bless our dear church, we don't pay a dime, meals are provided, the people will be fun and there's even ice skating and a bonfire tonight! My little (or not so little) preggo self won't be doing any ice skating but no doubt I will be taking in some cocoa by the fire. 

To inspire a cozy wintery weekend where ever you are, a give you a few more finds from Etsy: 

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A Good Saturday

I was long over due for a day of shopping and brunching as well as some catch-up time with a dear friend, so 

Saturday we got together and enjoyed omelets and lattes and then did a little shopping. We came across some nifty goods: 

1. A pale pink doily-inspired tea pot (I've been needing a cute tea pot for ages now!) for $10 at where else, TJ Maxx Home Goods

2. Homemade-looking bath rugs with scalloped edges in the best colors also at TJ Maxx Home Goods

3. All natural and locally produced organic milk sold in lovely glass bottles found at a new market in my neighborhood. I'm not a huge milk person, but enjoy pouring a little cup out of the hefty glass bottle much more than I ever did with a plastic jug. 

Inspiring Basement Studios

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Ever since we moved into our new house last summer, all of my crafting stuff has been sitting disheveled and sad in boxes in what will now be the baby's nursery. Nothing could be moved until we replaced flooring, lighting and painted down in the basement room we decided would be my crafting studio. Enter my dad: bless his heart, he made his third trip out in the last 5 months to help us on the house and this time, he rocked the craft room! 

Ike painted the room and together, hubby and dad got in new flooring, finished the closet and painted the trim. How I love the men in my life! 

And isn't the above pictures a sweet little basement crafting space? I've been looking, where else but on pinterest for images of basement spaces to inspire me for my new little space, which although full of potential, has very little natural light - and I LOVE my natural light. Alas. 

Here's a few more pics of basement work spaces I thought were charming: 

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Hopefully, I can post some images of my own crafting space soon!

Winter Pick-Me-Up: City Floral

I have a little shelf looking underneath my kitchen window that was in need of some herbs so I ran to our best local green house last week, City Floral, to see what they had. I picked up some rosemary, basil, lemon thyme and mint. The real highlight though, was taking in the glorious azaleas in their smashing pinks, the primroses, kale, roses and cyclamen (on the top right) who like they're all ready for Valentine's Day. Talk about a pick-me-up, especially in the  dead of winter. Twenty minutes in the green house would be my preferred method of what designer Jonathan Adler calls "a prescription for anti depressive living." And it's cheap, if you can control your urge to buy one of everything while you're there... 

Watch This!

Who else fell in love with Downton Abbey a year ago when it debuted on PBS' Masterpiece? We watched last January, waiting impatiently for Sunday night to roll around so we could get lost in the drama, plot, characters and language of this splendid series. Just this Christmas, we re-watched season one at home with my family in the evenings in preparation for season two which premiers this Sunday night. Those lucky Brits were able to watch season two this fall, which I knew. What I didn't know was that if you search around the web, you can find websites that allow you to watch all the episodes from season two - no waiting for Sunday nights! My sister told me she already watched all of the second season and so Ike and I did the same last weekend (when we should have been working on the house and being productive). And ah! Season two is just as fantastic as the first! Alas, we splurged and now we have to wait another year for season three...

Regardless of how you watch it - just watch the darn thing. It's the perfect winter series to throw yourself into once the holidays are over and there's not much to look forward to and you're looking for a reason to not take down the tree or do laundry. Watch Downton Abbey instead! PBS has season one all ready for you right here. But be warned, once you start, you won't be able to stop. Enjoy!

New Years Greetings!

Out with the old, in the with new! It's hard to believe another year has zipped by. I must admit, I'm always a little glad when the holiday business is over and a quieter January arrives. Ike and I have a long list of to-dos on the house as well as another bit of exciting news which I haven't yet shared on this blog: 

We're havin' a baby! That's right! Come May, we'll have our first munchkin and we're SOOO excited about it. 

So, 2012 will be full of new and good things. I hope this year brings you the same!