Happy Mother's Day!

I absolutely loved this photo posted on Decor 8 recently by the talented blogger, Leslie of A Creative Mint. Such a gorgeous color combo and presentation...I thought it was a happy way to wish all of the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

I'm so happy to be spending the day with my family, especially the very special moms in my life: my mom, aunts & cousin :) They are all such inspirations to me!

Enjoy the day!

Easter Flowers...

Hello! I have been away too long from my lovely little blog. Between prepping for and celebrating Easter (I didn't get to make the napkins I was hoping to, sadly)...and then I dived right into my long to-do list this week and well, I have not had a chance to post...until today!

I wanted to share a photo of the gorgeous flowers from our Easter dinner table. This is a quick shot I took of my table's centerpiece...a gorgeous mixed bouquet from Trader Joe's (yes...they have flowers!)

I placed them in my beloved Kate Spade Library Stripe vase and for a fun little extra, I added in that adorable decorative moss-covered bunny pick up top, that I found at Pier 1 Imports...so sweet!

The tasty bunny down in the corner was a handmade dark-chocolate creation from a friend of my husband's...delicious!

That's it for now...just wanted to spread a little post-holiday cheer!

How about you? How was your Easter holiday?

A Happy Purchase...

I took a last-minute trip to Michaels craft store yesterday afternoon with my mom...she went for some yarn and I went for the ride. Until I spotted this super-fun white vase.


I loved the shape, the $4 price tag and loved the hexagon pattern even more! I bought one in black too...you know, thinking ahead for Halloween :)

I was so excited to get it home and plop in two of my hubby's V-day roses.

A happy purchase for sure!

Etsy Find: Paper Flower Bouquet

Photo via etsy.com

In need of a little crafty inspiration, I logged onto Etsy.com this afternoon. As soon as I spotted this Paper Flower Bouquet, I knew I had to share it!

The talented seller (box 64 studios) has beautiful flowers made from handmade papers for sale. I love the cool prints--you could get lost gazing into each flower's center. They remind me a bit of the Norsa paper flower kits from Paper-Source. But the best part is that if you buy these paper flowers, they're already made!

I love the idea of buying this bouquet for a new mom who'd much rather take care of her new baby than worry about watering fresh flowers! Or honestly, at $15 for each bouquet, how sweet (and budget-friendly) would it be to stock up on a bunch for a wedding?

Chrysanthemum Love

I recently had a lovely lesson on Japanese culture. The more I listened, the more I realized how much of it has inspired me in so many ways.

I was most excited to learn that the Chrysanthemum is an official flower of Japan. The Japanese even have a day named in its honor...September 9 is Chrysanthemum Day....who knew?!

Photo via Brides.com

I am always drawn to this "official flower" of Japan. The big, billowy variety, such as spider mums (above) are my favorites. I love them in shades of white, bright green and hot pink. Plus, they're great to decorate with. A few large stems make a big impact in a vase for a small amount of money. Look for them at your local florist.

Photo via Target.com

I also adore the shape of chrysanthemums in fabric and wallpaper too, like this gorgeous gold print from Graham and Brown available at Target....



...and how pretty would this illustration be framed and hung in a bedroom or a home office? It is an image from the New International Encyclopedia, which was only printed in the 1900s. I may have to hunt down a reproduction.

How about you, what is your favorite flower?

Collectibles: Ball Jars.

Hi there! I usually don't post over the weekend, but I really wanted to share this photo I took yesterday afternoon.

The hydrangea stem was left over from a bouquet of flowers I received two weeks ago! They're still going strong so I decided to plop them in my favorite blue Ball jar. I love that jar, I found it on eBay and use it all the time. I've started a collection because they are inexpensive, useful and just look so good.

Speaking of Ball jars, in honor of its 125th anniversary, the morning show hosts on Martha Stewart Radio were trying to come up with 101 unique ways to use a Ball jar. Here's a link to their list.

Their listeners came up with some great ideas...here are five of my favorites:

1. Store ribbons in it (or buttons or other craft supplies).
2. Martini shaker! Hilarious.
3. Make Sun Tea with it. Nice for summer.
4. Use it as a bank for all of your change.
5. Make it a game jar. Store jacks, domino, dice, UNO cards!

How about you? Do you love Ball jars too, what do you use them for?

May Flowers?

I thought I'd bring a little happy sunshine to yet another gloomy, dreary, rainy day here on the East Coast. I took this photo outside, on my deck, almost a year ago to the day! Here's hoping the sunshine comes back soon!

And speaking of flowers...if you're looking for gorgeous arrangements to drool over...check out three of my favorite sites:

Belle Fleur

Jane Packer

Rebecca Cole Design

Speaking of Rebecca Cole, last year I interviewed her for this helpful story about how to keep your store-bought bouquets fresh. Check it out!

This is Me...

Hi and welcome to my new blog!

As a freelance lifestyle writer and stylist and former magazine editor, I am constantly on the hunt for inspiration. I am obsessed with home design, crafting, party planning and anything else that puts a smile on my face (like my wedding bouquet above!).

I started this blog to share my daily finds with you. Stay tuned...