Pink

I've promised Little Miss C her own room for her 8th birthday, so today I'll be taking apart the bunk beds and moving her two brothers into the playroom. She wants to paint her bedroom pink, which means we'll be pouring over paint samples this afternoon. I'm thinking something soft and subtle {like the image above}, but I have a feeling she's wanting something a bit more pepto. It may be a long afternoon.

Seaside

J spent 11 days on the east coast this month, filming summer camps in Maine for promotional purposes. He enjoyed torturing me by sending photos like these from his iphone while I roasted in 115 degree weather.

Little Miss C took one look at the lobster and gagged, "How can he eat that?! It looks so..... crunchy." I guess she'll stick to salmon. :)

Fragrance

For years, my favorite scent was Donna Karen's Cashmere Mist, but found it too heavy and floral for everyday wear once I moved to a scorching hot climate. So I switched to Clinique's Happy Heart. It has served me well, but I've become bored with it. Now I have my eye {or nose} on one of these simple scents. What do you wear in the summer?

Fresh Citron de Vigne

Demeter Fragrance Library: Rain

Clean Provence

Sometimes I wish...

...that I was the kind of girl that could've referenced The Smiths the first time J and I met. He would have married me on the spot.

We saw 500 Days of Summer this weekend and really enjoyed it. It was quirky, funny, painful and had us talking about past relationships the entire drive home. We tried not to be jealous of the fact that someone else wrote a story about love {not a love story} before we did.

Plus the clothes, music and sets= all to die for. Go see it. Thank me later.

Looking forward to...

... this book. Coming in September, people! If you haven't read The Hunger Games, you've still got time to catch up. {Oh, sweet addiction.} I guarantee you, someone will be making this into a film, soon. It's that good.

Curiouser and Curiouser

I love Tim Burton films, and after pouring over the eye candy that has surfaced to promote Alice in Wonderland, I simply have to say that it is awesome. 

 

Oh, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter? I know he casts them in every one of his films, but how can he not? They're perfection.
TweedleDee and TweedleDum still give me the creeps, though. Feast your eyes on more images here. {and what do you think of the trailer? I found that the still photos were much more appealing.}

Decor Dreaming

I'm a fan of minimalist spaces, clean lines, and geometric patterns. Currently, my living room has a pared down, slightly brat pack look. Dark leather sofas, shag rug, lots of black and white and steel blue, with wood floors. I think it needs more punch. And for some crazy reason, I'm loving raspberry pink against the cool blue. I thought a rug would do the trick, but it turns out that Madeline Weinrib is ridiculously expensive {naive me!}. Fortunately, Rubie Green makes beautiful fabric, that, while still expensive {$90 per yard}, would be worth every penny for the impact just a few pillows would provide. Here are a few items I'd love to add to my space:

Bertoia wire side chair, Live What You Love print, Rubie Green East Village fabric, Henry Road pillow

Attempting Casual

Drawstring Twill Pants, Old Navy; Red Ballet Flats {similar to shown} Gap; Striped Tank, AE Outfitters; Crochet Trim Henley, Old Navy; Earrings, Oye Modern {don't own these, but wish I did!}

I never hesitate to admit that I am not very good at being casual. I'm far more comfortable in pearls and a pencil skirt than I am in a pair of jeans. {In fact, my jeans are all trouser and skinny styles with hems long enough for 3 inch heels!} So events like our annual July 4th mountain getaway often send me into a panicked frenzy. I raid my closet for anything remotely 'camp' worthy, and scour the thrift stores for a hoodie or two. This year, I supplemented my scant wardrobe with a few Old Navy staples. None of these outfits are earth shattering, but I was ridiculously pleased with them-- they were cheap, fun, and as laid back as I get!

Crochet Trim Henley, Old Navy; Shell Edge Cami, PacSun; Pewter Sandals, Old Navy; Wide Leg Pants, Old Navy; Gauzy Striped Scarf, Old Navy

White Mountains

As is tradition, we escaped the scorching heat by renting a few cabins in the mountains with J's family for July 4th. I think this was the best year yet. 

J's brother found a fabulous location with three cabins tucked into the edge of a meadow, close enough to the lake that we could hike over with our fishing poles, but far enough that we could let the little ones play outside without fear that they would drown. 

The weather was refreshingly chilly, with pleasant afternoon showers that sent us indoors for lunch and card games. The cousins spent hours running around in the woods and between the cabins, playing with mud and sticks and balls and bikes, just as children should. The adults talked, read, played card games, whiffle ball and blongo; rode bikes, fished on the lake and went running; snacked, napped and lounged on the deck or by the fire. We watched fireworks while huddled under layers of blankets, and ate indian fry bread dusted in powdered sugar. 

It was heaven. {Except when some of the kids got sick and threw up all over the place.}

I am so lucky to have married into a family full of people that I look forward to spending time with. I can hardly wait for next year.

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