memory monday

Today we're posting about a little memory of ours for our Monday post.

Mine dates back quite a few years ago. I had just met my husband, and we had only known each other about 3 months. I thought he was sooooo cute, and I had a great big crush on him. He was starring in a really cool studio production called Art, and he was absolutely amazing in it. He's very, very talented actor, but sadly he says he's permanently retired:)

I went to see the play (more than once!) just to see him in it, and I was totally swept away by his energy, his talent, his hotness! He played a married man, so he was wearing a gold wedding band. I was transfixed by it and couldn't stop thinking how hot he looked with a wedding ring on! I was definitely already dreaming of him wearing a ring like that for me some day! My parents came to visit me while the play was still in production, and I told them they simply had to go see it with me and see how talented my "friend" was. I remember telling my mother that my "friend" played a married man in it, and how attractive he looked with a wedding ring on. It's funny how little comments like that, things that you say sort of in passing, stick with you for years. I'll always remember telling my mama that.

And I still think he looks really hot with a wedding ring on;)

must have music monday

You read that right, today we are doing a themed Must-Have ... we're recommending music to you! My choice was easy, I've been listening to this sweet little tune on repeat since before Christmas. My choice is:

La Mer by Charles Trenet

You may have already noticed it in the column on the right, along with some other current favorites of mine. Oh and by the way, it's the song Beyond the Sea in French:) And while you're checking out Charles Trenet, download Boum as well. It's adorable.

Must Have Monday

'Tis the season to cuddle on the couch with a cup of tea and a warm blanket. I have wool blanket fever these days. Aren't these blankets gorgeous? I especially like the top one on the top picture (the gray and white striped one). They all just look so cozy and inviting.

fixer upper love

Usually, I wait until Monday afternoon to post my Must-Have, but I'm too excited to wait. I've had this one picked out for a few days and couldn't wait to share it! I saw this book on Katy Elliot and new right away I wanted it! You can click here to order it. I'm ordering it ASAP:)

It's full of gorgeous pictures of homes that have been restored to their original glory (my dream!) and the pictures are to die for.

Happy Monday!

I love lamp

Imagine all the adorable lamps just waiting to happen ... and all they need is this little thing right here.
Yours for only $29.00, Ballard Designs offers this Cork Lamp Adapter. They recommend pairing it with these green bottles (I just happen to already have three green bottles just like these)


But there are so many other options! You could make a lamp out of teapots like they sell at Anthropologie, or lamps made out of cigar boxes, ceramic figurines, flower pots, or maybe even sea shells if you're really handy with a glue gun.

Happy Monday!

A Must-Have Tune

My must-have for today is fairly simple, and you can own it with just a few clicks on iTunes!

The song is Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix) by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers. It's a really fun remix of an old classic, and I look forward to playing every year. I first heard it while shopping with Jill in the Gap in South Cost Plaza, and wouldn't rest until I found out what it was and how to get it!

Download it and dance your heart out:)

anthropologie

Today's Must Have Monday is a bit hard to put into words. Basically, I think everyone must have a little Anthropologie in their life - whether it be a store nearby, their website bookmarked on your computer or their catalog getting delivered to you every season. Just check out these gorgeous window displays!







I am always inspired by the gorgeous things in the store, and I have clipped out many a catalog picture to file away in my decorating inspiration notebook. Everything they do has the perfect blend of simple and sophisticated, which is definitely my thing (see blog title at the top of your browser). Last year my parents gave me quite possibly my favorite Christmas gift ever - a gift card to Anthropologie. I treated it like little Depression-era children treated a piece of candy ... I made it last, and last and last until just last month when I finally used up the last bit of it to make over this dresser. It's OK, though .. it went to a very good cause!

So that's it for my Must Have Monday. Even if Anthropologie isn't quite your style, it's still a great place to buy hostess gifts, Christmas presents, or even baby shower gifts:)

why it's almost like being in looooove

How can you not fall instantly in love with this kitchen? The hanging light fixtures, the hardwood floors, the old chair ... the pink refrigerator. Oh, that pink refrigerator. Love at first sight!

Once I stopped drooling over it, I set out on Google to find one of my very own. It had to be pink, and it had to have that same retro look. I'm thrilled to say I found just what I was looking for!

This website has a selection of Northstar Refrigerators that are exactly what I had in mind. And click here to see their adorable color selection! Here is their pink fridge:

So adorable. Of course, they run from about 3,000 to 5,000 ... so when we do invest in one eventually, it's highly unlikely that I'll be able to convince my husband that we should sink several thousand dollars into some massive pink appliance. But no worries, I'm just as enamored with this white one. Can't you just see Lucy running to this fridge when Ethel comes up to borrow some butter?
So that's my Must-Have for today. Happy refrigerating!

every girl needs this book

How to Walk in High Heels is a book I came across while window-shopping in Dublin one day. When the book says it's "The Girl's Guide to Everything", it isn't exaggerating. This book has everything a girl needs to know to survive. The author is Camilla Morton, but she enlists the help of some very fierce people to help dish out advice. You'll find Manolo Blahnik's instructions on how to pick a shoe, Giselle giving advice on how to look good in a photo, and Jade Jagger's recommendations on how to compile a great playlist. In addition, there are sections on everything from how to fire someone graciously to how to pick up dog poop with style.

And of course, the book instructs on how to walk in high heels, complete with directions for various surfaces. How to Walk in High Heels is my pick for Must-Have Monday, and I do believe it is a must have for all girls out there:)

must have monday

Today is the day when my partner-in-blogging and I post about an item we want, need, or think everyone else should have. Today my Must Have item is the Julie & Julia movie.

image courtesy of sony pictures

I love everything that Nora Ephron does, and this movie was everything I love about her movies. It doesn't come out until December 8th, but I will be in the store at midnight on December 7th to pick one up, just like a certain someone I know *coughJILLIANcough* did when The Notebook came out.

P.S. You can get a nice little preview of the soundtrack by clicking here!

do you know what today is?

Why today is Must-Have Monday, of course! I thought very hard about what my first Must-Have was going to be .. I wanted it to be extra cool since it's our first one. The thing I finally settled on will probably only interest me, but I'm too infatuated to care. So without further ado:


These are classic books re-printed by Penguin, with the covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Aren't they gorgeous? They've been out in the UK for awhile, but they just got released in the US recently. I actually was going to try and go to the trouble of ordering a few of them from the UK a few months ago, but I got distracted. I'm glad I did, because it will be much cheaper to get them over here:)

Each book has a theme, some more subtle than others, that coordinates with the book. Alice In Wonderland (one of my favorites of the collection) has pink flamingos on the cover - a reference to the game of croquet. The Picture of Dorian Gray has peacock feathers, a more abstract symbol of his self-centered ways. I think the contrast of white chandeliers against the navy blue cover of Great Expectations is gorgeous, too.

So that's it for this Monday! Don't forget to tune in Friday for Top Five Friday!