the writings on the table...

i'd would totally use one of these chalkboard table cloths for the kitchen table...

via ta daa studio

via martha stewart weddings

via remodelista

flowering garden ideas...

i've started to daydream about the outside of my house, more specifically, the gardening aspect. i love this photo. it would be so fun to have a whole bunch of flowers & flowering shrubs with all their color welcoming you as you walk up to the house...

via better homes and gardens

supertunia vista bubblegum petunias, snow princess sweet alyssum, redbor kale, perfume deep purple nicotiana, varigated iris, chives

i've started to research flowering shrubs and other plants to possibly plant this year...umm, clearly i like pinks & purples & whites...which will look fabulous against the grey backdrop of the house (once i have it painted!)...

flowering quince

hydrangeas

gardenias

lavender

catmint

echinacea

lilacs

peonies

asters

bellflower

foxglove

flowering almond

quotable...

currently reading...

since i flew through my last couple of books, including the hunger games trilogy, i'm on two a few new ones. an object of beauty was recommended by a friend, i'm about half way through it...

and fifty shades of grey is our april selection for book group, it's also a trilogy...apparently it's all the rage, this boston globe article even refers to it as 'mommy porn', right up my alley!...

cooped up...

you know you have 'issues' when you are jealous of a chicken coop. i mean, how fabulous is this coop, who wouldn't want to live in it?...

i'm trying to convince my parents to have chickens at their house in westport...i'm not sure they're convinced though. karen from the art of doing stuff (who built that black chicken coop above- kind of amazing) followed very closely this design from chez poulet for her coop, i've told my parents my company could be the general contractor for the project even...again, i'm not sure they're buying it...

reunion bunkin'...

this summer is my 10 year college reunion. yes, i am old. i would like nothing more than to have a hotel room that looks like this so that my girlfriends and i could all stay in one room and gossip all night together...not that they'll be much sleeping going on...

5 years ago we did all stay in one hotel room, two beds...normally this would be fine except one year i woke up with my dear friend and i wrapped around each other like lovers. it was awesome & hilarious, but i have a feeling her fiance might not think so...or, maybe he would? hahaha!

zou bisou...

was this the most awkward moment in the mad men season premiere or what? my co-workers and i have been sing zou zou bisou ever since hahaha....

quotable...

road trippin' tunes...

i like this version of whitney's 'how will i know' even better than the original...

currently reading...

television has taken a back seat for a while, i've been reading up a storm. i just finished the book thief by markus zusak for my book group this month. it was good, but because i typically read in bed before i go to sleep for the night i started to have nightmares about the holocaust for a couple of weeks...

i caved, i started reading the hunger games because some of my friends are going to see the movie next weekend and i want to go see it...but i'm not one of those people who can read the book AFTER seeing the movie. i started the book two nights ago, i'm on the last 1/3 of the book now, will probably finish tonight. i'm not going to lie, i didn't think i would like this book because of all the hype...but i do. i bought the trilogy on my kindle so i'll likely finish the whole thing by the time i see the movie...

cuteness overload...

oh dear lord, does it get any cuter than this? i think not...

the way of peaceful parenting...

i read this post today on zen habits and thought it was a wonderful piece, regardless of the age of your child. i hope to be a peaceful parent someday...

the way...

• Greet your child each morning with a smile, a hug, a loving Good Morning! This is how we would all like to be greeted each day.
• Teach your child to make her own breakfast. This starts for most children at around the age of 3 or 4. Teach them progressively to brush their teeth, bathe themselves, clean up their rooms, put away clothes, wash their dishes, make lunch, wash their own clothes, sweep and clean, etc.
• Teaching these skills takes patience. Kids suck at them at first, so you have to show them about a hundred times, but let them try it, correct them, and let them make mistakes. They will gradually learn independence as you will gradually have less work to do caring for them.
• Older children can help younger children — it’s good for them to learn responsibility, it helps the younger children learn from the older ones, and it takes some of the stress off you.
• Read to them often. It’s a wonderful way to bond, to educate, to explore imaginary worlds.
• Build forts with them. Play hide and seek. Shoot each other with Nerf dart guns. Have tea together. Squeeze lemons and make lemonade. Play, often, as play is the essence of childhood. Don’t try to force them to stop playing.
• When your child asks for your attention, grant it.
• Parents need alone time, though. Set certain traditions so that you’ll have time to work on your own, or have mommy and daddy time in the evening, when your child can do things on her own.
• When your child is upset, put yourself in his shoes. Don’t just judge the behavior (yes, crying and screaming isn’t ideal), but the needs behind the behavior. Does he need a hug, or attention, or maybe he’s just tired?
• Model the behavior you want your child to learn. Don’t yell at the child because he was screaming. Don’t get angry at a child for losing his temper. Don’t get mad at a kid who wants to play video games all the time if you’re always on your laptop. Be calm, smile, be kind, go outdoors and be active.
• When a stressful time arises (and it will), learn to deal with it with a smile. Make a joke, turn it into a game, laugh … you’ll teach your child not to take things so seriously, and that life is to be enjoyed. Breathe, walk away if you’ve lost your temper, and come back when you can smile.
• Remember that your child is a gift. She won’t be a child for long, and so your time with her is fleeting. Every moment you can spend with her is a miracle, and you should savor it. Enjoy it to the fullest, and be grateful for that moment.
• Let your child share your interests. Bake cookies together. Sew together. Exercise together. Read together. Work on a website together. Write a blog together.
• Know that when you screw up as a parent, everything will be fine. Forgive yourself. Apologize. Learn from that screw up. In other words, model the behavior you’d like your child to learn whenever he screws up.
• Patiently teach your child the boundaries of behavior. There should be boundaries — what’s acceptable and what’s not. It’s not OK to do things that might harm yourself or others. We should treat each other with kindness and respect. Those aren’t things the child learns immediately, so have patience, but set the boundaries. Within those boundaries, allow lots of freedom.
• Give your child some space. Parents too often overschedule their child’s life, with classes and sports and play dates and music and clubs and the like, but it’s a constant source of stress for both child and parent to keep this schedule going. Let the child go outside and play. Free time is necessary. You don’t always have to be by her side either — she needs alone time just as much as you do.
• Exercise to cope with stress. A run in solitude is a lovely thing. Get a massage now and then.
• It helps tremendously to be a parenting team — one parent can take over when the other gets stressed. When one parent starts to lose his temper, the other should be a calming force.
• Mom and dad need a date night every week or so. Get a babysitter, or better yet, teach the older kids to babysit.
• Sing and dance together.
• Take every opportunity to teach kindness and love. It’s the best lesson.
• Kiss your child goodnight. And give thanks for another amazing day with your beautiful, unique, crazy child.

my little bunny...

she's practicing to become an easter bunny apparently...

quotable...

i smell spring in the air...

this coming wednesday marks the first day of spring, although this weekends temperatures felt more like summer. i did a lot of yard work with the help of my mom, and while i have gobs more to go, it felt good to be outside, cleaning up, and seeing some of the flowers that are starting to sprout from the ground. i'm looking forward to more yard work (although i may be eating my words come late summer).

this morning i broke out my roger & gallet citron perfume, i bought a small bottle of it while in paris last fall, but i think i'm going to have to buy a bigger bottle for summer. it's the perfect spring/summer scent...

a dog's purpose...

no wonder we love dogs so much in this family...thanks to our family friend hope for sending...

A Dog's Purpose?
(from a 6-year-old).
A short story from Ultima National Resourc...es, LLC

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,

''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE...Getting back up is LIVING...

you & i...

I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know

Something's in the air
I think it's time to leave
I know, I know
Cause it feels like hist'ry repeated,
Yet I still believe
I know, I know
We give
And we take
We push and pull till it breaks

With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Like faith
With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Then stay

I can't take myself
So can we start again?
I know, I know
Yeah it feels like history's repeatin'
So will you take me in?
I know, I know
We run
And we crawl
We hold it up till it falls

With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Like faith
With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Then stay, with me
And I'll stay with you
If you stay with me

With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Like faith
With you and I
We come and go, we come and go
Then stay

luck...

who couldn't use a little lucky? wearing one of these lovelies daily, not just for saint patrick's day, might be a good idea....

via jenni jewel

via nell belle designs

via otis b

via dvora schleffer

gone fishin'...

moving on to the blue room in the house, my next project...


please disregard the fact that the doors are not on the lower portion of the built-ins...it's making me crazy too. however, i love this little room. it's not quite a bedroom, although i'd like to turn it back into one someday. right now, it's an 'in-between' room; someday maybe a study, a library, who knows. currently it doesn't get much use but i'm about to change that. i love the color, LOVE it. and i love the bookshelves my co-workers helped me build. i was thinking about decorating it in an understated nautical/fishing theme. i have some great antique painted oars, a few vintage fish prints, and some other 'fish' related artwork to adorn the walls...


i was looking as a few other things on etsy that i think would be a great addition to the gallery wall i'd like to create...

via jenim

via doodling a smile

via stay gold


via cottage to cabin

right now i have my knock off parsons desk in the room along with my kelly green desk chair...


and i think maybe i'd like to put a day bed in there, something informal, comfy and cheap... a good place to read. i want something i could load up with lots of decorative pillows (i am sort of a pillow addict). i'd really like a wrought iron bed, like this one (but in white)...

via american iron bed company

but something like this from ikea is probably more in my price range, and would work just fine...especially with all that storage underneath...

via ikea

it will continue to be a work in progress i suppose...as i have exterior work lined up for the my spring time agenda. it's never ending, right?