Kate Spade Inspiration

Most of you know my unending love of Kate Spade.

Here are some of my favorite Kate inspired interiors...

Winter Wonderland and More Fun With Sparkly Letters

Sorry I was absent from the blog world this weekend. We spent the weekend in West Virginia skiing. If you haven't heard "Snowmageddon" hit that area this past weekend. As a lifelong Southern girl, I have never seen that much snow in my life and it was gorgeous.

Anyway, I am back and on a side note how cute are these sparkly letters from Target? What a good alternative to ribbon. Forgive the quality, I took the pic with my iphone.

Hope everyone had a happy weekend!

The New Southern Living

I used to think that Southern Living was more for my mom or my Mimmie (aka Grandmother). The style wasn't modern and the interior design articles were far from groundbreaking but I am happy to say that Southern Living has really changed lately and their interiors are fabulous. Check these out...

Featured Blogger: Penelope Loves Lists

This week's featured blogger is none other than Meredith from Penelope Loves Lists. Meredith very sweetly agreed to be my guinea pig on this project and I am super excited.

If you never visited Penelope Loves Lists, this blog all about organizing.... everything. It's not just pretty pictures but really useful advice, tips and discussions about organizing everything in your life. The actual blog even looks organized! If you have never stopped by, be sure to pop on over.

Thanks Meredith for all of the inspiration you give me and the rest of your readers!

MEREDITH, PENELOPE LOVES LISTS

1. My Favorite Place On Earth

The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. I went there a couple of years ago and felt like I'd finally come home. I wanted to cry when we had to leave. I think they pump some happy air into the filtration system. They have a whole room devoted to cookies and yummy baked goods, all free for guests. No joke. You just go in and load up a bag with all your goodies. That and the wonderful spa, and the restaurant and the ocean... it's Disneyland for adults.

2. I Am Inspired By…

people who find their true passion and work hard to live it.

3. I Describe My Style As…

comfortable elegance. Both in my home and my clothing, I place equal importance on looking good and being comfortable. I love the look of a 4-inch heel, but I'll wear a gorgeous ballet flat.

4. My Favorite Accessory

my diamond earrings from my husband. Just can't go wrong with those.

5. To Relax I…

spend time with my family (I know, yawn - but true, they're a great group) and knit. During football season, you'll find me watching my beloved Indianapolis Colts every Sunday, decked out in full Colts regalia.

6. I Am Most Proud Of…

having the courage to leave a bad marriage and find the right man for me.

7. I Cannot Live Without…

my husband. He's so funny and real that he keeps me laughing and pulls me back when I've gone off the deep end.

8. My Top Design Tip

Don't keep everything. Less is definitely more, especially in small spaces. Only keep the things you use or you love. Everything else goes.

9. I Want…

to find balance between my family, my day job and working on my blog. Another few hours in each day would be fantastic!

10. I Love to Shop at...

The Gap and J. Crew for clothing. For home stuff, I love Pottery Barn, but I usually use that as inspiration and instead buy at IKEA and Target. I'm also buying much more on Etsy these days.

11. I Don’t Leave the House Without…

My red purse, my iPhone and my Boston Terrier, Cooper.

12. I Love to Wear…

Gap or J. Crew T-shirts, a pair of Joe's Jeans, ballet flats, diamond stud earrings. In winter, you'll almost always see me in a cashmere pashmina. So soft and warm and wearable in every situation.

13. I Love to Read…

mystery novels. My newest favorite author is Louise Penny. She's written a new style of English Village Mystery. Great plots, great characters, fantastic prose, lots of drinking of tea.

14. My Guilty Pleasure…

oh, this is embarrassing, but I really, really love a Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

15. I Envy…

people who love to work out. Also people who can sing. And if they can do both at the same time, forget it!

16. I Have Never …

gotten a traffic ticket of any kind. I've been pulled over 13 times in my adult life (most of those when I was much younger and dumber!) and just never got a ticket. I don't try to talk my way out or cry, I just admit I was wrong and wait for the punishment. I must have just run into nice policemen so far.

17. My Crush…

Peyton Manning. Gotta love a guy with a rocket arm.

18. Favorite TV character...

Monica from "Friends". She's such a Penelope!

19. Signature Colors

navy blue and gray

20. At the end of the day, I am…

tired...and blessed.

A Food Revolution?

Did everyone watch Oprah on Wednesday? It was a great show focused on food. It was all about being aware of what we are putting into our bodies and where our food comes from.

Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules, was there and discussed his rules for healthy eating and spoke a lot about the Western diet. The Western diet is a diet often eaten in the US of highly processed foods, refined grains, etc. Pollan's book provides some interesting and easy rules for a whole foods diet like...

Only eat foods that rot (aka twinkies don't rot)

or

Avoid Foods Advertised on Television.

The show was excellent and I realized how little I know about what I put in my body. I ran right out and bought Pollan's book. I found that I had lots of questions....

Why is "Grass Fed" important? What does "Cage Free" mean? Is there a difference between "Free Range" and "Cage Free"? What happens to the caged chickens? (it's not good I can tell you that)

I really want to change my diet to really become conscious foods and focusing on a diet of whole foods. According to Pollan's book, eating real food (produce, veggies) and abandoning the Western diet will result in better health and reduce your risk of disease. Heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and some cancers are linked to the Western diet.

In addition, Alicia Silverstone (you know Cher from Clueless) was on the show featuring her cookbook The Kind Diet. Alicia is a vegan, which usually makes me head for the hills, but I was so intrigued by her cooking segments (with my favorite actress Laura Linney nonetheless) and I actually found myself wanting to eat these vegan dishes. You can see the videos here.

I was totally inspired by this show, if you missed it, the videos are all over Oprah's site and Pollan's book is easy to find anywhere. I really have to say I have been exhausted and not feeling too energetic lately. I really would love to change my energy so I'm thinking I need a food revolution. What about you?

PS- Remember this?

This was my short lived food blog, Peonies & Peppermint. I will be including all these posts on that blog as well.

Pretty Bar

Since we are snowed in here in South Carolina, I have taken time to do tasks around the house I have been putting off. One of those tasks was to organize all of my digital photos in iPhoto. I came across this picture from several years ago and I was so excited. Isn't this bar area gorgeous? You would think I was in Paris but no this was taken in Paris Market, a store located in Savannah.

I loved the mirror in the back and it's just gorgeous in every way. Happy Wednesday!

Randomness & Kate

I found this online. How gorgeous is this?

Sneak Peek

I spend an hour going through the house tours on Apartment Therapy. These were some of my faves...

Thanks!

For all of the book recommendations! I seriously needed to be pulled out of my rut and I think you all have.

Here is my amended Winter Reading List...

1. Water for Elephants

2. A Thousand Splendid Suns (everyone says this is better than The Kite Runner)

3. Eat Pray Love ( I have heard people who loved it and people who thought it was boring, what's the verdict?)

4. Catcher In The Rye (can you believe I made it through high school without reading this?)

I am going to try to work some into the spring except Twilight (I tried I really did and it seems like a vampire after school special to me). Thanks girls!

I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours

I have a confession. I have read none of the books on my winter reading list. I am in a reading rut. I have found that when I get like this I can regain my reading enthusiasm by re-reading a favorite book. Also, I need to get some new material because nothing I have on my reading list is making me excited. So here's the deal,

I will show you my bookshelf if you show me yours...

These are my top 5 Favorite Books

You all know this, The Lovely Bones

Jane Eyre. How high school literature class is this? I still have an old tattered copy my mom read in high school. I love this book so much I swore for years I would name my first child Adele.

Notes On A Scandal by Zoe Heller. This movie was later made into a movie that was excellent as well. It's so torrid. I just love it.

To Kill A Mockingbird. Need I say more?

Bitter Is The New Black by Jen Lancaster. I think books can signify a period of time in our lives. This book was recommended to me by my sister while I was taking the Bar Exam. If you've never taken a bar exam, the horror that is the Bar Exam is hard to comprehend. The SC Bar Exam is 3 days long and covers a huge breadth of material. Bar applicants spend three months studying for the test and in the last few weeks you study every waking moment. While I was enduring that hell I bought this book and I would stop studying every night and read for a half hour or so. I laughed out loud the entire time I read this book. It was definitely a time in my life that I needed to laugh. This book is hilarious, irreverent and will make you smile on every page.

Who what is yours? Come on I need new material. Pretty Please

Recipe: Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

As I posted last week, I bought Elie Krieger's cookbook So Easy. I am in love with it!

Our favorite breakfast recipe is Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast. You can find the recipe here at Food Network. It's delicious and I highly recommend it.

Featured Blogger

I don't know about you but I love those pages in magazines where some lucky person gets to you tell you all of their favorite things. To indulge in this fantasy of mine I decided to start doing Blog Features on my favorite blogs and bloggers. This week is a test run on myself and let me know if you want to be featured!

FEATURED BLOG: Lavender & Lilies

I Cannot Live Without my laptop and my husband. He's the best and he fixes my laptop!

My Favorite Place On Earth is Positano, Italy.

I Am Inspired By almost everything. I find myself snapping pictures all of the time. I tend to get ideas from odd places like in grocery stores or on a walk in my neighborhood.

I Describe My Style As casually elegant. I love style but I always want things to be comfortable. What good are gorgeous interiors if you can't enjoy them?

My Favorite Accessory my Kate Spade diamond studs for a fashion accessory. For my house, I love white vases and flowers.

To Relax I hang out with my husband, look at design magazines or take my dog on a walk.

I Am Most Proud Of my law degree.

My Top Design Tip Is to be true to yourself. Know what you like and once you figure that out you can start decorating.

I Want to go to travel the world.

I Love to Shop At Williams Sonoma, Kate Spade, J.Crew, Kates Paperie, Barnes & Noble, Sephora, Anthropologie, Target, Crate and Barrel and basically anywhere that has things I can buy and will take a debit card.

I Don't Leave the House Without my iPhone.

I Love to Wear trousers paired with a J. Crew garland tee and great shoes. I also love cardigans, long necklaces, jeans, ballet flats and black turtlenecks.

I Love to Read decorating magazines, hilarious books, anything a friend recommends and blogs.

My Guilty Pleasure is a trip to Barnes & Noble to pick up stacks of design magazines and a Venti Iced Green Tea Latte. I also have a deep and unabiding love for Broadway musicals!

I Envy people who are effortlessly thin or are natural runners. I am not at all.

I Have Never smoked or seen The Godfather.

My Crush Robert Downey Jr. I love him!

Random Favorites Actress= Laura Linney, Season= Early Fall, Trait= Loyalty & Consistency, Cuisine= Italian, Food= Sushi, Magazine= House & Home

Signature Colors Pink & Charcoal

The Thing I Like Most About Myself Is my ability to laugh at most situations. I can find humor in almost anything. I am known at work for laughing all of the time. And my hair, I like my hair.

At the end of the day, I Am content. I am a very lucky woman. I have an amazing husband, a cute house, a great education, a good career, fabulous friends, a cute puppy and an amazing family.

THANKS GIRLS! Let me know if you want me to interrogate you too!

A Grand Entrance

I love these entry ways

Pics from House & Home, Notebook Magazine

Color of 2010: Splashes of Yellow

So we all know gray is the new brown but my prediction is that yellow is the color of 2010 and I really want some yellow flats.

Pics from house and home, apartment therapy, etc.

Tag You Are It!

I have been tagged by La Petite Peony with this adorable blog award.

To accept I have to list 10 things that make me happy and tag 10 blogs so here goes...

(Little) Things That Make Me Happy

1. New Office Supplies

2. Kate's Paperie in Soho

3. My cat Griffin. He's thinks he's better than me but that's okay.

4. Chocolate Chip Cookies

5. Broadway Musicals

6. Awards Season. I love the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Oscars.

7. Beautiful Paper

8. Pretty Packaging

9. Sparkly Diamond Studs

10. Satin Ribbon

Now to pass on the happiness, I tag...

Sarah's Fab Day

In Honor of Design

Brooklyn Limestone

Fabulous K

Two Ellie

My Little Happy Place

Good Girl, Gone Glad

Hey Gorgeous

Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle

Starfish and Sundresses