Exotic Flowers and breaking the law...

Catchy title, huh?  It will all make sense in a minute... : )

Just had to share some more of God's AMAZING creation.  I was really ready to have a bouquet of hydrangeas for spring in the house, but while my husband and I were on a date last weekend (LOVE date nights!), we saw this beauty and I've been in awe of it ever since....

It is a protea and it is from South Africa.  It is huge and although it doesn't exactly smell like roses, I'm still in love with it. 

Isn't it huge??

Although, I probably can't get a hold of this one whenever I want, it's still going on the favorites list.

Addison and I went on a walk {just the two of us!} last weekend and we checked out the bluebonnets down the street from us.  The first year we lived in Texas, I had the kids pick handfuls of bluebonnets for me...it wasn't till we got home, that my sweet husband kindly told me that it was illegal since it is the state flower.  I felt bad....but they were SO pretty in a vase in my kitchen! ; )

So now I just take lots of pictures in them instead of bringing them home. :) 

I am kinda new to this world of flowers and I am enjoying learning about what the different kinds are (even though my thumb is still as black as it gets..ha!) What are your favorite flowers?  I'd love to hear...maybe I can put in a request for them in the coming weeks....as long as they aren't bluebonnets. : )

Dreaming in White

I have always loved the look of an all white space.  The clean & bright look it always brings to any room...unfortunately, with 4 kids and since I am NOT an obsessive cleaner, I'll just be dreaming of living in one of these lush spaces.

This kitchen is to die for...the hood, the floors and the unexpected pop of yellow.  Gorgeous!

Great floors and the all white dishes...so simple and beautiful { via }

Doesn't this make you want to crawl into bed?

Aren't those chairs AMAZING?

What a timeless look.

How does Restoration Hardware make plumbing look so pretty?

I'd love this shower curtain {similar to a sold-out Anthro style}

A whole lot of white with some great accents

Maybe some day I section off a part of my house so I can pull off this look.... ; )

Diet and design

I am not a dieter...maybe it's a lack of discipline or just "not me", either way, it's not my thing....BUT I have made a effort to eat better (as mentioned in this post) mainly for energy and better overall health.  That's why I am so excited that the warm weather seasons are approaching and I can afford to buy pretty much all the fruit and veggies I want at that store.  I love finding pretty ways to keep the fruit out so that it can serve as reminder to all of us to eat MORE!

Love the color it adds to my very neutral kitchen...check out my weeds flowers freshly picked my youngest two at the park.

Love the simplicity of milk glass...this piece I inherited from my grandma

Don't you love when something can make your house prettier AND make you healthier? ; )

The timeless look of Quatrefoil

Although, you see the quatrefoil design in so many designer spaces right now, the great thing is that it will not go out of style.  It is found all over in ancient architecture.  It's beautiful shape is so timeless that you will see it for years and years to come.  Finding a great piece with this design in it, is sure to to only enhance the classic beauty of your space.  Here are some of my current favorite ways to incorporate it...

This gorgeous quatrefoil chandelier found at Ballard Designs {AND it's on sale!}

How great would this look in an outdoor space, Ballard Designs

Love the subtle look of this rug

I love things like this...makes me so ready for summer bbq's!

A more modern take....I love this with the all white bedding

Doesn't Restoration Hardware do this look SO well?!

Quatrefoil on a wall covering is gorgeous but here is stencil that can you get that look for much, much less! (Stephanie this one is for you!)

These chairs are amazing...the detail of the quatrefoil on the sides is beautiful!

This quatrefoil key print on etsy

Or these fun pillows from Etsy

There you have it....something for every price point. I love this look and I am hoping to be able to use this look in my home...I'd love that mirror (actually something similar since that one is a bit out of my budget!). 

What is your favorite?

Top 5 : : nail polish

It's that time of year again...you know, when you have to make sure your toes look decent since they will be showcased every day by your flip-flops instead of the closed-toe shoes of winter.  I'm pretty simple in my beauty rituals, but it never ceases to amaze me how much better I feel with a little polish on my toes {and on my fingernails, if I'm lucky}.

Here are my top colors...and while I love me some OPI and Essie, I love trying out new colors from Revlon or Sally Hansen as well and have had pretty good results overall.

1)  Classic red.  I especially love wearing this with black or white clothes...it just seems to pop.  I've currently got OPI Deer Valley Spice in my collection, but I also just picked up Sally Hansen's Something New at Dollar Tree and I love it too!

2) A good fuschia.  This is what I currently have on and it seems like you just can't go wrong with this color....you can wear it with or without a tan and it can really go dressy or casual too. OPI has some great choices in this shade, but right now I've got Revlon Oh My Magenta and it is great!

3)  Light pink....like almost white.  I love this look especially when my skin has some color.  It's neutral too so it will go with just about any type of clothing.  Essie's FIJI is amazing!

4)  Coral.  Another great summer color.  I love this with turquoise jewelry.

5) Black.  I had Essie licorice on for two weeks and didn't want to take it off!  I love the edge this has, but with it's great gloss, it still can be dressed up and look great.

6)  Ok, I know I'm only suppposed to have 5, but another one of my go-to faves is a a sand taupe color...I had the perfect OPI version forever until it broke...ugh. : (  I can't remember the name, but I don't think they make it anymore after searching through their website.  Here is a great alternative...great for all seasons, outfits and occasions.

Ok, I'd love some feedback on this one....what is your favorite tried and true color? Now that my toes are showing, I think I need some new ideas! {Also, I just realized that Amazon is a great place to get nail polish...Essie and OPI both retail for about $8-$10 and all my choices where around $4 and under}

Taking time to smell the flowers

Since we are having a bit of a cool & dreary spell here in Texas {which I know come July, I will be begging for this weather so I am not complaining!}, it's been a great day to stay home and catch up on cleaning and my 40 day challenge for Lent.  The only problem is that sometimes when I'm in project/task mode, it's hard to see what else is going on around me.  This can be great for completing the goal of the day or the to-do list, but this morning as I was in the heat of it...I realized I needed to take time and enjoy the day at home.  My youngest two were playing SO well together, but why not take just a few minutes and enjoy them.

I think the simplicity of this week's flowers sum it up...$5 bouquet of little white flowers in antique mason jars.  Does simple beauty get much better than that?

Taking time to smell the flowers for me meant putting down the dust rag and playing a game with these two { a made-up game that happened to involve blowing into a bowl of soapy water in the middle of my freshly cleaned bathroom...deep breaths, deep breaths...}.

What does it mean for you today?  Stopping at the store on the way home to pick up some flowers to enjoy God's beauty in a simple way?  Writing a note to thank someone for the good friend they are to you?  Or maybe you are like me and you need to put aside your to-do list to make a little room for the more important things in life....whatever it is, I hope you'll find time today to enjoy it.  I did and I know at the end of the day, it will probably be the highlight of my day.

Kitchen lamp revamp: Take 2

A couple of years ago I was looking for a lamp to go in the window above my kitchen sink and I happened to find one that included the shade at Wal-Mart for $3 so I figured it was worth a try.  When I got it home, I realized that it was a bit too tall for that space, so I thought since I spent so little on it, I'd try to take it apart and take a section out so it would fit.  Well, it worked....that is, until this past week in the middle of the night and I heard a horrible noise and found this....

 Apparently, the hot glue choice was not the right one.  Instead of trashing it, I decided to give it another go and revamp it in the process.

Step 1: Fix it better : )

LOVE Gorilla Glue!

Step 2 : Paint the base for a whole new look

Krylon Gloss spray paint in Ivory

Step 3 : Update shade {I actually began to update it, but then ended up stealing a shade from another lamp....hopefully, I can pick up a drum-style lampshade to replace this one}

Step 4 : Enjoy the new look...with $0 spent!

 I wasn't sure with my countertops that I would like the all-white grouping, but I think I'm liking the white look for above my sink...when I finally find some fun fabric to use for my window treatments, it will be sure to accent it well.