A Little Stress Relief.

Things have been a little on the stressful side here lately.  Here are some of the reasons why . . .

(1)  A 9 hour flight delay to Denver last Thursday.  Mechanical failure + a sick passenger on the plane and having to return to the terminal = arriving in Colorado at 2:00 a.m. 

(2)  2 days of super intense trial advocacy training in Colorado.  It was extremely helpful, and I am ready to cross examine the heck out of someone or deliver a killer closing argument, but each day of the training was over 14 hours each (including Saturday).

(3)  Putting on offer on a house along with everyone else in the city.  I am not exaggerating when I say 23 other people looked at the house the same day as us.  More details to come, but we are in the middle of the offer/counter-offer stage currently (along with several other buyers). 

In addition to a glass of wine (or two), I love relaxing with a good book or magazine in the bath.  Bonus points if the bath has bubbles.  Thankfully, there is a Lush, which has amazing bath products, in Boulder.  My friend Lauren totally got me addicted to their stuff.  So on the way to the airport, I swung by to pick up some goodies.  Here are some of my faves:

Dreamtime Bath Melt

Twilight Bath Bomb

Butterball Bath Bomb 

The Comforter Bubble Bar

Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (this stuff smells amazeballs)

Have you ever tried anything from Lush before?  And I sure hope your weekend was full of fun rather than stress!

* Lush has no clue who I am.  I am just a stressed out girl who loves a good bath with their products. 

5 things . . .

Hope y'all had a wonderful Easter!  I have 5 totally random thoughts for your Monday . . .

1.  I can't get this image out of my head.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I love the drapes, the mirror, the gray settee, and the pretty pink peonies.  So lovely!    

Source: lonnymag.com via Emily on Pinterest

2.  I was in Anthropologie the other night (can you say trouble?) and picked up this shirt.  Yep, it's orange bicycles.  Love it and it's much more fun that my other button-ups I wear to work.  And in full disclosure, Justin picked this shirt out.  Anthro always has things in random places and Justin saw this and pointed it out to me.  He's a keeper.   

3.  As we were packing up our old house, I told Justin I wasn't going to bring any books to the apartment to decorate with because I knew we wouldn't have the same kind of storage/book shelves.  He told me he thought I should at least bring a few of them because "books make a house a home."  After laughing a little at him for making that comment, I told him I totally agreed and threw a few in a box.  You may have seen a couple of them here on the campaign dresser.

When we were at Anthro (see number 2), he found this book called "Books Make a Home"!  He joked that he authored it under a different name.  How funny is that?  We had a good laugh in Anthro about that.  I'm sure people wondered what was so funny about a book about books! 

4.  I didn't need a new dry shampoo, but I thought I would try one that was cheaper than my usual one to see how it would work.  I grabbed the Tresemme dry shampoo for normal hair.  I've only used it one time, but it definitely worked as I hoped.  I recently got bangs and like putting just a little bit of dry shampoo on them in the morning (even right after I've washed my hair).  The dry shampoo helps to keep them looking "fresher" throughout the day.

5.  I have a super special treat coming up this week.  My friend (and wonderful photographer), Carrie, came to take pictures of our old house before we moved.  As were were moving, I was so thankful I had a blog to look back at to see the house and the progress we made.  But I knew Carrie could capture our home in ways I never could -- hence her being a successful photographer!  Be sure to check out Sweet Louise Photography and her blog.  Not that you need any more encouragement to go check out her awesome work, but it also includes super cute babies and kiddos!  In the meantime though, here's a teaser:  

Such a fabulous shot of our old staircase, right?  Well there will be more where that came from thanks to Carrie!

Photos from the Iphone.

I thought I'd share a few random things from the last few days with you through the lens of my iphone . . .

I am certainly no fashion blogger, but I wore this outfit to work the other day and received a bunch of compliments on my top.  While that in and of itself it not noteworthy, the the fact that the top was free is!  I "bought" it with one of my Nordstrom Notes that was expiring soon.  If you also are a fan of Nordstrom Notes, here's a little tip:  you can get gift cards with them and those never expire.  I always say it's "free money," and Justin rolls his eyes and says "oh yeah, it's real free."

Riley decided to make himself comfortable in Justin's desk chair.  How sweet is that?  (Please excuse the awesome mess of paperwork completely surrounding Justin's desk area.  He decided to clean out his desk over the weekend, so I wasn't going to complain about the papers strewn about all over the floor!)  

No joke, as I was drafting this post, this is what was going on behind me.  Riley was sound asleep on his back while Zoey was giving him a the stare down.  They both stayed like that for a while.   

Justin has requested that I point out that the above photo is not from my iphone, but from his Galaxy Nexus phone.  He's anti-iphone.  He is also weird.

We went to a new construction open house this weekend.  But the cool (and kind of sad) part is that we used to rent the house that they tore town to build the new house.  So Justin is standing about where our old living room used to be.  It was crazy to be back on that lot and standing in a different house.  Oh memories. 

And last but not least, one of the consultants Justin works with lives in NYC and commutes here every week.  He offered to bring the people at work (and me) cookies from Levain Bakery.  These cookies are seriously good.  And they are 6 ounces a piece!  6 ounces of pure deliciousness.      

Hope your week has been going great so far!

Kindle Case + A Winner.

I recently bought a Kindle and have spent the time I should be reading on it checking out potential case options!  Here are some of my favorites:

I love that this one looks like a clutch rather than any type of electronics cover.  And if I ever decide to stop using the Kindle, I can repurpose this baby in a heartbeat.  Another positive -- it's reasonably priced.  

(photos: etsy)

I am also a big fan of the classic style of the Dodo case.  It's so simple and I'm digging the red (the inside also comes in a variety of other colors).  And I like that it's made like a book -- seems appropriate for an e-reader! 

(photos: dodo case)

And of course I love the Kate Spade covers.  They are super cute, but I can't pay $85 for one of them! 

(photo: here)

I am totally regretting over-thinking the whole Kindle case decision.  I am flying last minute to Chicago for the day tomorrow and will be traveling case-less!  Do you have a Kindle case that you would recommend? 

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Last but not least, the winner of the UPrinting giveaway is . . . Meggie!  

Congratulations!  I will email you about the details of the canvas print!     

Sperry Top-Siders.

First, thanks for all of the birthday wishes!

I was on the hunt for comfy, non-tennis shoes to wear during our upcoming trip to Europe.  I love me some flats, but most pairs I own don't have a ton of support.  My goal was to find something supportive and still somewhat fashionable.

These fit the bill perfectly!  (And extra bonus -- I got double points during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale).  I want to wear them everyday, but oddly enough, they don't look good with a suit!  But seriously, I can't believe how comfortable they are.  My flip flops have been enjoying a well-deserved break since these new shoes have been in the rotation.  (If you order them, I would size down 1/2 a size.)        

(photo: nordstrom)

And, I'm all about sharing the love . . . so I made strongly encouraged Justin to get a pair as well.

(photo: nordstrom)

He loves his too. Most times when he puts them on, he sings the Lonely Planet I'm On A Boat song (warning: there's lots of bad language in the video; but Justin keeps his rendition clean).  Have you come across anything recently that was too good not to share?

West Elm.

How amazing has West Elm been recently?  There was a period of time when nothing really did anything for me there.  I am pretty sure the exact opposite is true now!  And it looks like I'm not the only one . . . Elsa, Michelle, and Cassie all did posts this last week on their West Elm favorites.  I have had my post in the works for a while now and thought it was so funny to see their posts too -- I guess great minds think alike.  (I thought about not doing my post any more after seeing theirs, but I enjoyed seeing what things catch everyone's eye.)

Here are some of the things that rock my world:

striped shower curtain

iznik bath mat

porcelain trays

porcelain tumblers

measuring cups

owl measuring cups

modernist mugs and bowls (these are very anthropologie-ie)

side table

tealight holders

ruffle pillow

pleated pillow

dhurrie rug

Some of these things have made their way into our house! I'm excited to show you them to you!

5 things . . .

5 things I am loving right now . . .

1. This living room.   There's a lot of goodness going on in this room (gallery walls, lamps, mirrored side tables, pouf, fab rug, sunburst mirror, etc.).  I don't even miss curtains.

(photo: decorpad)

2.  This bag.  I think my hillier needs a big sister.

(photo: neimans)

3.  Jeans for Japan.  If we made a donation at work, we could wear jeans 2 days a week this week and next.  I don't know what it is, but it makes me so happy in the morning to throw on jeans rather than a suit (and it's for a good cause too!).

(photo: nordstrom)

4.  That we just booked tickets to San Diego!   

5.  The Instagram (and Hipstamatic) app on my Iphone.

5 things . . .

Here are 5 random things:   

(1)  First things first . . . hope y'all had a fabulous weekend!   We ran a bunch of errands on Saturday (and I was at the office for most of Sunday).  More details to come on what we purchased, but it includes:  (1) things for finishing the kitchen pantry and organizing the master closet from Container Store; (2) fun things for the downstairs guest bathroom from West Elm; (3) items to get our office better organized from Container Store and Anthro; and (4) this blazer from Banana Republic (it's sweatshirt material and super comfy, yet still looks polished.  I may be slightly obsessed with it.)

(photo: BR)

(2)  Remember the gorgeous chandy from the Guild Shop?

I decided to run over during lunch last week to check it out again.  Thankfully it was still there and was $40 cheaper than the price earlier in the week!  Score!  So it came home with me.  The chandy is not hung yet because it needs some maintenance first (nothing too major, just new phen sockets and some replacement prisms).  As soon as it's hung, I will share pics.  I actually decided to hang it some place other than the entry way -- more on that later.

(3) A big thanks to my friend Megan from Honey We're Home for featuring my Ikea cabinet makeover on her blog.   

Megan also featured Elsa's bedroom makeover, which is just fabulous.  (Love the yellow chevron in Megan's header and Elsa's drapes!) 

Her office is also amazing.  Check out Elsa's blog, Casa Greer, for all the details.

(4)  I now have over 200 followers!  Yippee!  Is it nerdy for me to be so excited?  Thank you to everyone who follows along!  On a related note, I recently updated my "about me" tab.  (I just noticed that I am wearing a white sweater and a green top/dress in both the picture on the about me page and my profile picture.  I do wear other things, I promise.)      

(5)  I apologize for the lack of posts late last week.  We had a pretty big case come up at work, so was a little busy dealing with that.  And sorry in advance if the posts are a little light this week too as a result.  

Have a wonderful Monday!

The Guild Shop.

I recently cruised over to the Guild Shop, which is an amazing resale store in town, and decided to document my trip.  I would be in there every day scoping things out if their hours were better, but it's probably for the best.  Anyway, let's see what they had to offer.

This black nightstand/side table was so cute (and was only $39.00).  I actually saw it during my trip before (2 days earlier) and was digging the handle and the gold fretwork patter on the top.  Maybe it was because the pattern reminded me of my recent cabinet makeover.  The lamp on the right is pretty neat too (the one on the left -- well, I'll just say it's not my style).

They have tons of mirrors in every shape and size imaginable.  This fancy beauty caught my eye.  The frame was plastic, but it was only $18.00.

How pretty is this desk?  The lines were gorgeous and the leather inset with the gold trim was fabulous.  I sure wish I needed a desk.

Before you start worrying, I am not a fan of the fabric on these chairs, but the lines are great.  These puppies are just screaming to be reupholstered. 

And check out this old card catalog.  I don't know what I would do with it, but Mr. Goodwill Hunting found one at Goodwill recently and collected some great inspiration images.

Speaking of perfect candidates for reupholstering . . . this chair is so sweet.

This original painting almost came home with me, but I didn't know for sure where I would put it, so I passed. Now I wish I would have just bought it anyway.  It was $30.00.  The colors were more vibrant in person and it was just so sweet.

I am a complete sucker for milk glass.  Thankfully there were no pieces that were calling my name today, but I came very close to walking out of there with a large footed bowl for $18.00.

And if you need silver, this is definitely the place to check out.  They have tons of it.  During the recent episode of Dear Genevieve (I am a big fan of that show), Genevieve said thrift store silver was the way to go.

These candle holders would be perfect on a dining room table or buffet.

How sweet are these guys?  I almost bought them, but figured Justin wouldn't be a big fan.  I think for the pair they were originally $12.00, but marked down to $7.00.

And my favorite find of all . . . this beauty.  I am actually considering going back and buying it for our entry way.  I have to measure to make sure it will fit to allow enough clearance for the entry hall closet door to open, and if I wait a couple more days, the price will drop $30.00. 

There is also a console table there I am stalking.  Someone already purchased it, but hasn't been back yet to pick it up.  It is awesome -- like seriously, awesome.  I couldn't get a good picture of it; and some old lady was giving me weird looks as I was trying.  I thought maybe she was the buyer giving me the stink-eye for taking pictures of her table.  So I decided to keep walking.  Once I thought she was out of earshot, I asked a guy who worked there how long they had to come back and get it, and he said to check back in a week and if it's still there it may be a "contender" to sell (again).  Well, I will be checking back for sure.  And I'm pretty sure old stink-eye will be too.  She was listening so intently to what he was saying to me from afar, the guy even asked her if she needed help.  She quickly replied "no" when she was busted up for listening in on our convo.  I am so on to you old lady.

Of course, I will keep you posted if there are any developments with the gorgeous chandy or the table (or anything else that happens to come home with me)!