2011 new years resolutions...

1. be more conscious of my diet: i am the queen of eating out and eating processed junk food. it's not that i necessarily like crappy processed food, but it's cheap and it's easy, and i'm lazy when it comes to cooking. this year i vow to be more conscious of what i put into my body; to eat more fruits and vegetables.

2. count to 10 before i react: let me explain...i'm very quick to react, usually saying the wrong impulsive thing rather than the correct well thought out thing, and it gets me into a lot of trouble, personally and professionally. i guess you could also call this one 'think before you speak'. if i take a little mental breather before i open my mouth my life might be a little bit easier.

3. wait a day to make that purchase: i'm what you would call an impulse shopper/ ultimate consumer. i HAVE TO HAVE everything i see. in an effort to save a little money this year i want to wait at least 24 hours before i make an impulse purchase. if i still NEED it in the morning, then i'll consider buying it. i tend to have buyers remorse after most purchases anyway, so this might be a good lesson for me.

4. stick to a yoga routine: i am admittedly lazy when it comes to physical exercise, and the boyfriend makes sure i recognize this about myself, often. i really do like yoga, but have a hard time self motivating. but it's good for me, and i need it in my life, i just need to stay more regular with my practice. realistically, if i go twice a week regularly i'd be happy (and healthy).

5. check back into with God: i am not a regular church goer, but i do go more than the obligatory holidays. similarly to yoga, i like it, but i'm lazy. and there is no reason for my laziness...it's one once a week and there are many different times for services. just as you need to nourish your body with good food and exercise, so should you nourish your soul.

captured on camera...

image courtesy flickr

neutral baby room design...

since my co-worker janna is pregnant with her first child i've got babies on the brain. in fact, i spent a better portion of yesterday and today looking at baby inspired things. so i decided to put together a little look for baby's room. i kept it relatively gender neutral in terms of the palette, but i'm really diggin' natural colors mixed with greens and oranges today...


1. windy tree fabric decal by trendy peas decals etsy shop 2. millbrook iron crib from restoration hardware baby & child 3. baby bumbers & crib sheets from serena & lily 4. baby animal portraits from sharon montrose print shop
5. glider from serena & lily 6. anjelica lamp from maison luxe 7. ultimate changing table from pottery barn kids 8. kendal lidded tote baskets from crate & barrel 9. chevron knot rug from west elm 10. decorative pillow by milk & cookies etsy shop

get organized for 2011...

i love organization, that's probably why the container store might be one of my all time favorite stores. saw these chalk paint labels on etsy today and thought they would be a great way to organize all the miscellaneous crap we often have lying around in different drawers, baskets, jars, etc...

bringing it back old school...

circa 1982, i'm hitching a ride with my dad & his shaggy hair on the back of his 10-speed in my dope red knee socks...and the livin' was easy...


circa 1984, my all smiles sister in her rad coca-cola one piece bathing suit on the back of the boat with our too-cool-for-school mom in sandy bay, lake george...

my art fix...

since graduating from design school i haven't really been exposed to much original/affordable artwork for purchase. i used to love to buy large scale works of art from fellow artists at the new england school of art & design, it's a great way to get original pieces at a reasonable price. now that etsy has entered my life at full force i'm considering acquiring a few new pieces. these are a few i'm liking at the moment...

sharon schock fruits & vegetables paintings:


jennifer shears big sky paintings:


nancy hughes miller coastal marsh paintings:


david rickert boat paintings:


nancy jean farmhouse paintings:


jennifer fox bridge paintings:


robert joyner cow paintings:


roz rooster paintings:


maria kitano abstract paintings:



zachary knoles nude line paintings:

southie parking wars...

a friend of mine who lives in southie just sent me this article from the nytimes about the craziness of parking in south boston after a snow storm. southie is by far my favorite area in all of boston, but the parking is as brutal as the local reputations. here are a few of my favorite quotes from the article:

"When Mayor Thomas M. Menino tried to limit the practice in 2004, saying it had gotten out of hand, and threatened to dispatch crews to remove what he called “this rummage sale” of space savers 48 hours after a snow emergency ended, the neighborhood known as Southie revolted. James M. Kelly, then the neighborhood’s representative on the City Council, warned Mr. Menino that residents had “more cones and barrels” than the city had “trucks to haul them away.”

"Marguerite Maguire, who had an orange parking cone ready to guard her spot, was hoping to avoid the kind of confrontation she got into after a 2009 snowfall, when someone tried taking her space the minute she finished clearing it. “I told her, ‘Forget it, lady,’ and we yelled at each other for a few minutes until she pulled away,” Mrs. Maguire, 50, recalled. “I think she must have been new here.”

“If you move someone’s space saver and park your car in its place, you have no right to complain about what happens to your car. However, you are allowed to retaliate as long as you don’t get caught.” "Mrs. Simon, a Southie native, said the most “awesome” space saver she had seen was a table set for two, complete with a bottle of wine."

moral of the story, 'pahk ya cah at ya own risk'...check out caught in southie, and their "parking survival kit"... what would you use as your spot holder?

kickin' it winter style...

with the onslaught of serious snow on sunday night in boston i was inspire to do a little after christmas shopping and scored myself a pair of these coveted sorel boots. now my feet will be warm AND stylish...

farmhouse lovin'...

every once in a while we go to a potential clients house and i become extremely jealous of their home. this home in sherborn happens to be one of those houses. a circa 1720 farmhouse, beautiful piece of land, charming little home...basically my dream home. the proposed additions/renovations are wonderful, but i think this little home is perfect as is... the (young) clients seem pretty awesome too...