Just some Blog-Spiration

Have y'all heard of Polyvore?? It is the most FUN site to create inspiration boards & you can make your own "sets" or browse others! I have used it for inspiration for outfits to take on fabulous vacay's, wedding showers, and sometimes just to work! (You know, when I used to have to be very fashion-forward at my old job in the high-end department store!)

So, ramblings aside (it is LATE & my warm bed is calling) ... I just wanted to toss this inspiration board I made at www.Polyvore.com (free accounts!) for one of my *bests* lingerie shower that I am hosting. It's my first big affair for one of my friends in relation to their wedding. How sweet it is to be part of a couple's life in this way. The theme is Upper-East Side -meets Southern beach girl in the springtime! I have already bought black damask-ish print napkins & plates ... All attendants are asked to wear black /white or a combo of both, and I'd love for the Bride-To-Be to wear *PiNk* ... she'll look stunning, no matter what though! It's a brunchery theme, plush flowers, attention to detail in food & drinks, and not to mention, I'm asking our New Orleanian *best* to bring her cocktail expertise to the table, literally & design a drink for our Bride-To-Be. She will be wonderful & love sharing her talents with us :) B-2-B doesn't want "skanky" lingerie. She's a sweet nightgown & practical kinda gal, so we'll be seeing sweet floral prints and things that are romantic versus raunchy :) I look forward to posting REAL photos of this Lingerie Shower Brunch with ya'll in May. For now, I'll keep dreaming it up! B

Ebony & Ivory... but Mostly Ebony!

This post is for my sweet Mother. Also known to me as "Lady" or "Momma". A woman that loves to decorate & whom I believe has been influencing my taste in decor as well. See, my Momma is a pianist. She plays for our church & is a very-patient teacher to over 40 wonderful students that she opens her *faBuLouslY* decorated home to. She is aahhhmazingly talented! Currently, Momma is on another re-do spree, this time the victim is the living room. It's been a work-in-progress as she has decided which colors she'd like to pull together. The winner.... BLACK! Not to fret, Momma would never do anything tacky. With our flair for French inspired design & a basket full of Ballard Design catalogs, we are turning this living room around. So without further ado, I am showing off all inspirational pieces I have found throughout the wonderful world (or, internet!) in hopes that she will find her own way to incorporate them into her home.

Some of my newest favorite trends are moving further from the famed & loved Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic style, to a more rustic - chic inspired design. Let your mind wander to the farms of the Midwest, wire baskets, chicken wire, crackled & chippy wood, dried leaves & florals, burlap, and Ball jar style lamps that hang solo in old barns. Then add the whimsy that French design has brought us, the Imperial Bee, the Royal Crown, smooth & sexy lines on furniture, moss covered planters sprinkled among monochromatic tablescapes and groupings. It is truly in the smallest details of our home that show who we really are. Momma also loves to display old family photos' and I am hoping to bring new life to the way to show them off! Here goes :)

Upholstery, Pillows & Furniture

Wouldn't you love to cozy up with these unique pillows? Available at Etsy store from blogger "Cute Pink Stuff" here on Blogger! And they would be especially chic in this little chair from BelleEscape.com --->

And they would be especially chic in this little chair from BelleEscape.com I envision the living room with cute fabrics such as ...

I envision the living room with cute fabrics such as ...

Capture the ... bust?!

The "apothecary craze" as I call it, has ranged from Candy Bars at weddings, to moss filled jars emulating green houses, and now, I firmly believe you can use an apothecary jar or bell jar to literally, CAPTURE anything you'd like to be a focal point! Here's an awesome idea, especially for my Musical Momma !

Each room could use a statement piece, imagine this beautiful buffet adorning your foyer...

And maybe an antique collection of Trophy cups ... I like mine with branches!

For an easier replica on a DIY project, I think a re-do on this armoire would be cute: Well my friends, if anyone is reading this ... I am done for now! Check back later for more ideas, and please bear with me on the crazy layouts in these posts, I'm still learning! B

Is It Bikini Weather Yet???

Is It Bikini Weather Yet???

As I shopped my local designer-clad mall in a jacket & scarf, I found myself longing for the days of bikini's, salty tangled hair, and sunscreen (okay, and tanner!!). The bug always hits me around February, when I have been pasty white since November 1 and my legs haven't seen the light of day except for when I head to the gym in shorts (even then, a scary sight!) So, here it is, nearly the end of February & I have begun my rigorous routine for "thigh thinner" and upped the ante on my abdominal workouts, preparing myself for summer... which where I live, begins around mid-March. The cool winds from our 1-week of Spring have subsided and it's on to blazing temperatures until November. BRING IT ON!!! I'm ready to shed my dry skin, mittens, beloved Burberry coat & jeans. I'm going to gleefully pull out the spring colored wardrobe in the next week, as I believe that it will bring good warm weather even sooner :) So, now that the sundresses & espadrille sandals are coming back out, I'm starting to dread trying on bikini's in stores. Why must they equip dressing rooms with fluorescent lighting?? It's a cruel & rotten ploy to selling swimsuits. But alas, I will go in & believe that my skin hasn't a ripple in it & that I will look fabulous once I get a tan :) Which brings me to my next issue regarding beach weather ... Sunscreen -V- Tanning Lotion. I have (with the guidance of my dear friend "Legs") succumbed to putting SPF 30 on my neck, shoulders, chest & face (keeping a hat on too!), and then using an SPF 15 tanner on the rest of our bodies. We're in our mid-twenties & it is time to say goodbye to baby oil. We'll be thanking ourselves when we don't look like the newest Cole Haan leather goods line in 2020. Please wear sunscreen this year! Skin cancer can affect everyone! My favorite products for summer are below: C.O. Bigelow SPF 15 Lip Balm only $7! Great minty taste too! A fabulous & colorful hat to shade your face!

Paraben & Animal by-product free sunscreen by Kiss My Face

Bikini's by L-Space & VIX are a sure hit for any poolside party or beach affair I can't part with mine!

Well, that about sums up my itch for summer... til the warmer weather returns ... B

That's Who I Am

There are just certain things that make me "B".

• Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, & Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra
• Hydrangeas, Azaleas & Magnolias, especially when they bloomed outside my window!
• Sunsets at my new beach, on the West coast!
• Small antique stores by the side of the road, scream "Come In!" to me.
• The Florida State University
• My love for kitchen gadget stores
• Decorative birds
• Anything Southern

Plain Jane

Well, I have tried in the past to create blogs, based on crafts I am doing, places I travel, and well ... they just didn't stick! So my hopes for this blog, are that I will be able to blog whatever beautiful things I see or feel on the current day. Topics will vary. Tastes will change. And that is part of the fun of being who we are, the ability to change our likes & dislikes, what inspires us, and dreams we have. Here I am, plain Jane blogger. Just me. B