What to do this weekend?

I'm at a loss for what to do this weekend, not a clue. There's the obvious thing like weekend chores, but I want to do something fun, any suggestions?

This looks awfully good too though...

{Image via This is Glamorous}

Handbags

The other day I was in the Coach store and had a ball because there was so many things there that caught my fancy. I have to say I really like Coach handbags, not the stupid logo ones but just the classic leather bags. They are simple, quality and not terribly expensive. (Please mind you that I'm comparing them to other more statusey bags out there.) I just feel like you get a nice bag for your buck.

Anyhow this is what I'm loving, cute clutch, cute wallet and great bag.

Tag, I'm it

So this morning I was reading Cutie's (no it's not her name, but she's so cute) blog at I *Heart* You and read that she tagged me and said that she would like to know a little bit more about me. I have to admit I was kinda relieved because I had no idea what I was going to write about today. I know there's no hard and fast rule that you have to post everyday but I like to try to be sorta consistent. So yay, no long silences with me and my brain wondering what to do. Just so you know, I'm not that exciting just a forewarning.

What was I doing 10 years ago?

I had been dating my now husband for a year, so we were still all super giddy and crazy about each other. So we were younger and much more fun, just doing the usual 23ish thing. As I recall having lots of fun, trips, hanging out with friends and basically just having a good time. I think that I was also trying just figure out what I was going to do with my life. You know weird icky feeling that you get when you are clueless about your career? Yeah that was me too.

5 Things on my To-Do List today
1. Figure out something for my blog today. (Check)
2. Icky laundry.
3. Icky bathroom cleaning.
4. Get stamps - I always forget these, it's so irritating.
5. Teach one client tonight.

Snacks I enjoy

Hmm...this is hard one because I'm not crazy about a couple chips, or cookies. If I'm going to snack I would rather have a Mack Daddy snack like chips with guac or cupcakes. I do have a weakness though for dark chocolate, I love it!

Things I would do if I was a billionaire

I would have a few more homes in various places, I'm thinking beach, mountains, city apartment and something fabulous in Europe. I would try to do something in order to make a difference, probably something domestically in education and helping those in poverty.

Places I have lived
They are varied and weird. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Lincoln, Nebraska, Manhattan, Kansas and lastly the Phoenix Metro area.

People I want to know more about

I pretty much want to know about everyone, I love all of these great blogs out there with the different voices; it's a serious addiction! The few I can think of off hand that I don't know too much about are sweet Amber at Daisy Chain and the lovely Carolina at Carolina Eclectic.

Easy & good

We all love Giada, she's great and this cupcake recipe is easy and tasty!

I'm pretty much thinking Australia rocks!

This morning while doing my daily blog marathon I was reading Desire to Inspire and completely fell in love with this post. They featured a home that was classic Queenslander, a style of home from Queensland, Australia. This home with it's wide veranda is so fabulous I want to sell my house and move to Australia pronto!

{Images via Desire to Inspire}

PS - Thanks Desire for being so fabulous lately!

SATC Update

So last night I attended the local premiere of Sex and the City. In my earlier post I said that I won tickets and they wanted you to dress as a character so my sister and I dutifully dressed the part (thanks Courtney). My sister was a fabulous Carrie and I was Charlotte. It was fun but A LOT of work, we left so early that no one was home to take a pic of us, then we waited to get in for what seemed like forever, then my heel broke on one of my favorite pair of shoes.

Please don't fret though the movie was wonderful. So go and see it with all of your girlfriends and have a martini for me.

Amanda Nisbet

Sometimes when I look at rooms I don't really pay too much attention to the designer just the look. Finally I'm beginning to figure out that many of the rooms I love are (duh) by the same designer. So I've put together a couple of my favorite rooms by Amanda Nisbet. I think what appeals to me about her designs is that there is almost always some punchy, fab color.

{Image via House Beautiful}

{Image via Decorati}

{Image via Desire to Inspire}

{Image via Desire to Inspire}

{Image via Decorati}

Suburbia - Oui ou Non?

This weekend my Mom and I had a fabulous time hitting up some local boutiques and cafes, all in downtown Phoenix. I love shopping at independent stores, I feel like I'm contributing to the people that live locally and I like that feeling. I always pictured myself living in an old house in a neighborhood with those kinds of businesses and now here I am smack dab in suburbia.

{Copper Star Coffee::Phoenix}

Don't get me wrong I like it, it's just a little white bread sometimes. There is some comfort in knowing that my cookie-cutter house won't have too many things wrong with it because it's only 5 1/2 years old and that my kids have a great school across the street. But when I go and see all of the cute homes with cool restaurants and shops nearby it's hard not to be a little jealous. So tell me, yes or no for all of you on suburbia.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

So I've got myself all ready for a super hot Memorial Day weekend and then bam it's chilly and rainy here. Last Monday it was 110 degrees and currently it's 65, weird. I will enjoy it while it lasts that's for sure. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

{Image via Conde Nast}

Why am I not smart enough to find this?

I'm the queen of starting a recipe and realizing that I don't have exactly the right thing. So then I'm scrambling trying to find an alternative, when that doesn't work I usually have to send the hubby to the store or go grovel to the neighbors to borrow something. Well with foodsubs.com you don't have to, thank goodness.

PS - While looking for a cookie image I stumbled on this Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookie recipe from Martha. I must really be craving a sugar fiesta because these raspberry and white chocolate babies are looking really, really good!

Calling all fashionistas!

Yippeee! I actually won tickets to attend a local sneak preview party of the Sex and the City movie, totally exciting however they want you to attend dressed as your favorite character. I'm totally down with a theme party, but I want to be super authentic and chic. I think I could probably pull off Carrie and could definitely do a Charlotte look...but what to wear? This is a serious dilemma and I will need your help.

I never thought that I would win so I posted what my fantasy would be to wear at The Invitation Lady but I'm thinking Zak Posen and a pair of Louboutins might be a little out of my budget. So help a girl out, any suggestions?

Jonathan Adler Pillows

I love the Jonathan Adler Bargello Pillows, I think a few of these would be perfect with the Happy Pillow thrown in for good measure.

Perfect Summer Party

I have had this saved in my pictures for some time now and I decided now was the perfect time to break it out. This one of my favorite collages from the lovely Kathryn at Snippet & Ink.

Red is my favorite color, so mixed with the white it just looks so fresh and summery. It's the perfect inspiration for a party, I would die to be a guest at this soiree!

Love the bottles

Last night my mom and I did a little shopping and had quite a bit of fun the the fragrance department at Nordstrom. I have never really noticed the Marc Jacobs splashes but now that I have, I would like one of each. They smell fresh and summery and the best part is the bottle. The design is clean and simple and would definitely look good in multiples.

My ideal

My Notting Hill had a gorgeous post about formal gardens and this was one of the images. I love formal gardens, probably because I don't actually garden and I don't know how much work it entails. Sometimes I think that I need to move to a different region because many of the architectural styles that I love just don't look right in the sun saturated desert.

Since moving isn't in the cards I love to try and find homes that I think would work in Arizona. I love the courtyard of this home and the palette is great, a gardener couldn't hurt either. As usual for me, a girl can dream.

{Image from Southern Accents via My Notting Hill}

Laundry Room

I hate to be a total whiner but our laundry room sucks. It's so tiny you can't even really fit the ironing board in there, or stand and fold your clean laundry. So it makes the crummy chore of laundry even worse. I saw this small, lovely laundry room in Domino and it made me think, maybe if I make it just a little more stylish it won't be so bad...or is that just wishful thinking?

Do you see what I mean, the damask print ironing board cover, the cool lucite stool and the cheery paint color; totally cute. Who am I fooling, I think no matter what I will despise folding clothes no matter what the laundry room looks like.

I can't wait!

So as nerdy as this might sound to some of you, I totally love So You Think You Can Dance and just realized it's going to be on this Thursday night. It's my favorite summer shows and I've even gone to the past two tours to see them in person. I'm counting down the days!

I'm so sad...

So in my wee little blogging absence I noticed that Emily at Design Smack has decided to wrap up her blog due to some very unfortunate circumstances. I am so sad to see her go, Design Smack was one of my very first favorite blogs. All of her images were always stunning and she did such a fabulous job with the writing to go with it. So Emily it was great while it lasted, we're still hoping you will change your mind. I'm sure I speak for lots of bloggers out there we wish you the best and hope to see you back soon!

Yay, finally!

Thankfully I passed my test, I'm super happy and looking forward to teaching people with an official certificate. Although I secretly wish it would have come with one of these vintage trophies from Paris Hotel Boutique.

Do you ever wish there was extra time?

I've decided to take a little blogging break, just for a couple of days. I have my big test on Friday morning and I need to take any extra time I might have to study. So I'm outtie for just a bit.

{Image via Flickr}

More GG, I know.

So I already posted Blair and Serena for The Invitation Lady this morning, but now I have to post Leighton Meester looking gorg at the Dior Cruise 2009 Collection. Love, love, love it all!

{Image via Popsugar}

Where have I been?

I just stumbled upon this coolest website called One Good Bumblebee, it has all sorts of cool, kitschy, retro paper goods. I totally want to get one of these Piles of Paper (they come in mini too). It's filled with vintage stamps, postcards, paper dolls and paper goodies. I'm not quite sure what I would do with it, but it would sure serve as some fun inspiration for any projects that might come along.

I scream for ice cream

It's late and I can't sleep. I think it's because I'm getting sick. So to drown my sorrows I just ate some ice cream, it was good but it would have been better with some Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce and a shortbread cookie.

Nathan Egan

I was looking at Desire to Inspire this morning and was supremely inspired by the interiors by Nathan Egan that they showed. So I took a peek and thought I would pick a few that I loved too.

My favorites are the bottom two, I love the kitchen with the pops of yellow and green and the bathroom; if I only could have a tub so lovely.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy your littles or bigs and have lots of fun.

To my Mom - I love ya, you're the greatest!

Sometimes I love killing time

Some days writing this blog is a nice little escape for me. A way to pretend I don't hear my kids fighting, a way to shirk some of that laundry and lately a way for me not to study. I have a big pilates thing coming up which requires memorization and honestly I can't remember the last time I had to do hard core memorization. I think it might have been high school chemistry, the periodic table, seriously! Anyhoo, I have a feeling that I'm not the only one out there that blogs to get out of doing something, so let's talk about what those things are. I'm ready to settle in for a nice little discussion any takers? What should you be doing that you aren't?

For you local peeps

Rhonda Lewis Photography is having a very special summer deal on her photography sessions. Nice way to split up the year, seeing those kids in flip-flops and pigtails is a nice change from their holiday finest.

Rhonda Lewis Photography has a wonderful partnership with (my favorite) The Invitation Lady called A SquaRe PaiR, they create gorgeous photographic announcements, invitations and cards.

Tomato Goat Cheese Tart

I saw this recipe and thought it looked to die, yum!

What's in my beauty bag?

Courtney at In(side) the Loop posted what her favorite can't live without products and I love seeing what people choose, so I thought I would join in. I have to forewarn you though, I love products and truth be told I actually use most of them daily. I love cosmetics!

My mascara is without a doubt Lancome Definicils, this is a must have for me. It leaves lashes nice and long and I need all the help I can get in the lash department.

My concealer is Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, I love it because it's not too heavy so it doesn't look make me look like I have wrinkly under eyes (a major plus for the over 30 crowd).

For the face I love Bobbi Brown products I start with the Oil-Free Even Finish Foundation and top it off with her Sheer Loose Powder. I don't always wear the foundation, the powder will do in a pinch.

I usually wear Bobbi Brown's Long Wear Gel Eyeliner, it lasts forever and you can go thin and natural with it or thick and smoky.

For all things colorful I always choose MAC, their shadows, blush and lips are the best! Their products have a lot of pigment so you don't actually have to use quite as much as with other products. I don't always go for the natural look so for me they have tons of stuff to choose from, I feel like a kid in a candy store there.

For skincare lately I have been using a product called Obagi which helps me with those pesky fine lines and wrinkles.

My usual fragrance is Vera Wang, I love it. I have been wearing it since it came out and I'm still not sick of it.

This is the content of my bag, I know the full war-paint thing is probably a bit much for some but I do love it. No worries though I don't do it everyday, just as often as I get the chance!

Little lemon

I was browsing J. Crew and got all excited because I saw that they are carrying yoga clothes, then (yawn) nothing special. They do however have a cheerful yellow yoga bag that I love!

I just love them

I love reading the gossip websites, I know a little trashy but so fun! I love seeing the Stefani-Rossdale's out and about. I just love Gwen's personal style. Gwen still looks glamorous even though she probably isn't feeling like it, her son is darling and the hubby is hot. Gwen you are one lucky girl!

{Image via Popsugar}

Happy Monday

I love this hallway featured in House Beautiful. The yellow ceiling is my favorite part, sort of an unexpected lovely surprise.

Kaas Glassworks

The always stylish Erika at Urban Grace posted the work from Kaas Glassworks. Take a look it's lots of fun.

Pouf Party

Cute, cute seating for me and the littles. I'll take silver and they can have their pick!