the 3 amigos...

sowa market opens tomorrow...

you know summer is on its way when the sowa open air market opens for the season....tomorrow! come on down and check out all the uniqueness it has to offer and support your local artist & farmers!

a royal affair...

the royal wedding party last night was simply 'brilliant' as my stepsister would say. pimms, cucumber sandwiches, bacon cakes, and prince william's favorite cake were thoroughly enjoyed as we watched the nuptials in our fake tiaras. it was a smart move to dvr the event so we could fast forward through the incredibly long procession to the church and the incredibly long (snooooze) ceremony and get to the good parts (liek david beckham of course).

i have to say, i am quite smitten with the new duchess of cambridge. i mean hello, was she classic or what? i loved how she looked like herself on her wedding day, not some glammed up movie star...and i don't care what those nah-sayers think, i thought her ivory silk & lace dress with its tight bodice and modest train was incredible, and smart, and sophisticated and unique. wearing alexander mcqueen (by sarah burton)...modern & traditional all in one, she nailed it! and i love the comparisons to princess grace kelly too...



and i loved tat she wore the queens beautiful, yet understated, cartier 'halo' tiara, not too ostentatious...


seriously weak kiss though, i think they should have rehearsed that part a little more...


loved kate's look back to the crowd, classic...


i am now undoubtedly fascinated with the fascinator, i totally hope these funky headpieces catch on. the most famous milliner, philip treacy, was quite the hit at the royal wedding yesterday... although i think a few of them were certainly misses...

images courtesy of time

a special kind of love...

it never ceases to amaze me how much happiness these two bring me. and i am fortunate enough to have them by my side all day long...

here comes the bride...

since we didn't make the invite list to william & kate's wedding on friday my girlfriends and i thought we'd throw our own little shin-dig to celebrate the famous royal nuptials. since we were all pretty much babies when these two got hitched we thought there was a great need to memorialize a new generation of royal weddings...


since the wedding takes place at 5am eastern standard time we are of course dvr'ing the whole thing on both nbc & e! channels, and then plan to dress up (possibly in lovely hats), sip on pimm's (courtesy of the recommendation of my stepsister kate who is in fact british), munch on bacon cakes (courtesy of baker steph), and only speak in british accents the whole night while we get smashed and teary-eyed over the 'i dos'... are we nerds or what?

i'm sure ya'll have seen this spoof too, but i'm sure the queen would keel over and die if they ever did something like this...

baby time at work...

i found this photo waiting in my email inbox this morning from janna and my day was instantly off to a good start. a couple of weeks ago she stopped by the office with the newest addition to their growing family, little miss shayna. i held her as much as i could before they had to leave; breathing in that sweet baby smell, listening to her coo and watching her little body stretch. she is beyond precious, she is literally beautiful...but of course she is, have you seen how adorable her parents are? it's amazing how wonderful holding a little newborn in your arms really is, i hope they come back for another visit soon, i'm going through withdrawal...

quotable...

sarah from going starfishing had this amazing quote on her blog, i love every word of it, made things much clearer for me today...

surfers paradise...

if this is what an 850 square feet surf shack looks like then sign me up for surf lessons! this house in coastal livings may 2011 issue had me at hello...literally, i fell in love at the front door. I am smitten with dutch doors, i hope to have one (or two) on my own house someday. i'm a sucker for board-and-batten cottages...


umm, how amazing is that ikat-upholstered spindle chair in the living room?...


i can totally see long naps in my future with a cozy built-in day bed like this too...

playing in my head...

I've tried to teach u well all of every i new of how to live
This life be true don't bow your head to know one and no matter what u do
If u start then see it through

So sturdy up sturdy up your heart for the road is long ahead...

the urban hound...

i heard about this new dog 'hotel', the urban hound, a few months ago and have been thinking about making a reservation for hank & penny the next time i go out of town (for a short getaway to try it out first in case i go on a longer vacation without them in the near future). it's a lot to ask anyone to watch both penny and hank, especially if they have a dog of their own. and i'm always very hesistant to leave them some place new with new people...they are my babies, i don't want them to feel stressed out without me. when it comes to my 'kids' i spare no expense. i've emailed with the hotel and they have invited us for a tour of the facility whenever we'd like, and i may take them up on it...hell, this looks like a place even i would stay...



i read about the reason behind the hotel on their blog today and it made me feel even more secure about this facility, as the owner, rebecca, shares the same dream i have, to have a place for all animals (but mostly dogs) can come to be taken care of and loved...i'm happy to know there is a fellow animal lover out there pursuing her passion!...
Community. Commitment. Care.

This is my response to the Boston Globe article. For those of you who do not know the history of the Urban Hound Hotel, here is a little about me. I am an animal lover - not just dogs, but all animals. From Fred to Twinkie, from Tippy to Zoe, there were rabbits, kittens, and dogs. Rescued. Wanted. Loved. I wanted to give them the home that they deserved.

The driving force for the hotel is to design a place that all my clients will feel comfortable leaving their dogs while away. Many of these dogs are rescue dogs, dogs that need a little more love and attention. Dogs with families that want nothing more but the best - a home away from home. Is it a luxury facility? Absolutely. We thoughtfully designed a space for thirty-six dogs. We have a staff to dog ratio of one to eight. I believe that each and everyone of these dogs has earned the right to stay in a place that caters to them, that gives them care that they deserve.

Within this, we have created a community not just for the dogs but for the people that love them just as fiercely. Next month, we are launching a pilot program with the ARL. The Shelter Dog in Residence Program is designed to foster a shelter dog in the Urban Hound facilities. Room and board in a luxury suite. Training. Care. Food. You name it, they get it. Our goal is to create an opportunity for these animals to be placed in a loving home but to be a part of their growth and development as well.

This is my dream and our facilities allows me to put my dream into practice - to have the opportunity to help.

i am going to be a copy cat...

i might have to straight up copy this couples wedding someday for my own, no lie about it people. i LOVE every little piece of it; from the wild flowers & table settings, to the multi-colored bridesmaid dresses, the lighting, the photo booth, the invitations...this is an incredible wedding. you should read all about it on style me pretty too, pretty cool wedding idea. what a wonderful way to start a marriage, looks like so much fun...


this might be the most amazing 'photo booth' i've ever seen, i will be copying this for sure!...


kudos to the photographer, stephanie hogue, too...only validates my belief that a great photographer is a MUST!