monday musing

(available at Etsy 'The Love Shop')

Monday Musing

quotable card..available here

One Latte Please

Now, I would love my morning cup of coffee even more if it came with a beautiful Greek key sleeve like this...

Wouldn't you?

Tiptoe through the Tulips

I took a picture of these tulips while I was on vacation in Colorado...they were planted all over the outside mall on Pearl Street.

I loved the colors and how they just sang spring. Since I live in Florida and there's no way they would survive this heat (and the fact that I kill every plant that I lay a finger on) , I might just have to settle on this fabric to remind me of springtime...

 Osborne & Little/ Llorca~ "Saskia"

All About Me

I thought I would share 10 things about me so everyone can get a sense of who I am...

1.  I LOVE, LOVE all things Southern...food, cities, people, I love it all!! I truly believe my soul mate (in the version of a place) is Savannah, GA.  I live in Florida, which is the south I know, but not really.  I would love to be surrounded by all the history, walk down the cobblestone streets, sit in one of the many beautiful squares, be able to call Paula Deen whenever I needed a meal...ok, maybe the last one isn't going to happen but the others could...

2.  I am a die-hard Florida Gators fan.  As soon as August rolls around, I can smell football season in the air.  I proudly sport my orange and blue every Saturday ( and I make sure my daughter does as well).

3.  I am a magazine addict.  At the beginning of every month, my mailbox is jammed full of magazines.  It's the best time of the month for me.  It's funny how my taste in print has evolved throughout the years...I went from Seventeen and Cosmo in my much younger days to now having a mailbox full of Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, and the such. I guess you do get better with age...at least smarter ;)

4.  Following the post above, even though my reading is mostly decorating magazines, I do have to admit I have been a loyal subscriber to US Weekly for the past 7 years.  I anxiously await for the mailman to deliver the week's issue on Saturday afternoon.  After he does, I am oblivious to the world for the next 30 minutes (because let's face it...it's not bursting with content) and I soak in all the celebrity gossip I can.

5.  I can't start my day without Starbucks.  It just seems unnatural.  I have tried but without success. I can't drive by the Starbucks in my town without stopping. It's bad.  As soon as I pull in, my 2 year old daughter says "You need a latte, Mommy?"...she has no idea.

6.  I can't get enough of inspirational quotes.  I know it's cheesy but a good quote can make me feel better instantly if I am having bad day or put things in perspective for me. There are little morsels of thought for me.

7.  I love to travel.  I can sit all day and dream up vacations I would love to take one day.  I have been blessed to be able to see many great places around the world and look forward to seeing many more during my time here on earth.

8.  I would be alright if the only two channels I got on my TV were HGTV and Bravo.  I rarely ever venture away from these channels. I am totally addicted to the drama of the Real Housewives on Bravo and I am LOVING Nine by Design right now.  I want to live in Sarah's House on HGTV and yes, I am one of those people who watches 'House Hunters' and shouts the number of the house I think the buyer picks.

9.  I am head over heels in love with my daughter.  She is full of life and spunk and I can't imagine what life would be like without her.  She has her times where she pushes me to my limit but in the next minute, she can be so sweet and so darn cute, anything that she does is easily forgiven.  I look forward to seeing her grow up and can't wait to see what kind of person she becomes.

10.  I have discovered there is nothing I can't achieve if I put my heart and soul into it.  I recently found this out when my girlfriend asked me to run a half marathon with her.  I have never been a runner and never thought I would be.  I couldn't run a mile without gasping for breath and walking most of the mile.  I decided that I was going to run the half marathon and I was determined to not walk a step of it.  I started training 3 months before and take baby steps towards my goal.  I was shocked and elated every time I ran a mile longer than I did the day before.  There are no words to express the feeling of pride and accomplishment I had when I crossed the finish line of the race and I know if I apply the same energy I did in training and completing the race, there is nothing in life that I can't do.

An Organized Life

I have just returned from my trip to Denver to visit family. One of my favorite places to visit while I am there is The Container Store. I, unfortunately, don't have one close to me and the only time I go is when I am in Colorado since it is down the road from my sister's. The Container Store is a organized person's mecca...storage and nifty gadgets galore. I want to reorganize my whole life when I step in there. For the most part, I am an organized person. But I do have a dirty little secret...my kitchen pantry is a disaster zone. I have a fantasy where all my baking items, rice, pasta, and cereal are all in pretty see-through containers, all my canned goods in order and all the junk that has made it's way to the top shelf gone!

                                                               image courtesy of Cooking Light/ Photo: John O' Hagan

                                                                              image courtesy of Woman's Day

a place to lay your head

I am currently working on a good friend's Master Bedroom and I have been scouring magazines and the web for images that can serve as an inspiration for her room. I am looking for a room that is classic and clean and will maintain it's appeal for years to come.

Here are some rooms that I would love to call my own...

images courtesy of House Beautiful