quack, quack

I have to admit it, I am starting to get a little rundown.  I have been going full speed ahead for the past month and I am exhausted!!

I have asked for all of this and I love being busy but I am starting to feel like I am not balancing it all very well.  There are so many obligations...family, work, friends, and personal obligations, the list could keep going!  When I am doing work and blogging, I feel so guilty for not playing with my daughter and enjoying her. But, on the flip side, when I am with her, my mind is racing with all the things I need to get done!! And so the guilt trip begins in my head! It is so hard to find the time to hang out with girlfriends, and when I do, I feel bad that I am not spending time with my husband.  I have gray hairs sprouting up and no time to get them taken care (Can we say Tarjay run for some Nice & Easy?) and I haven't been running as much as I should. Then, I am throwing building a new house and selling the old one into the mix. Yep, it's official! I have lost my mind!

I am always so amazed by women who are able to juggle it all effortlessly. Or, do they feel the same way so many of us do, like someone or something is getting the shaft in your life?

 I always think of a duck when I start to break down juggling everything in life...they look so calm on the surface, gliding along the water with ease,  but under the water, they are paddling like crazy! I hope that I come across as calm and no one can see my feet going ninety miles an hour!!

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So, ladies, how do you find balance???

Also, please check out my guest post at Haven and Home today!! I am talking about the things I love in my home in her "Love the One You're With" series...I adore Marianne and I am super excited to be on her blog!

finally!!!

I am sooo excited!! It's official! The lot that we put an offer in on months ago is ours! Closing was yesterday!  I have BIG plans for the new house and we are going to start meeting with builders next week.  I have an inspiration folder filled with ideas and I can't wait to see my dreams come to life!  Of course, I already have the floor plan drawn out and ready to take to the builder's with a loooong list of wants, needs, and "can we pretty please have" items!!


Here's the exterior rendering of the house we selected {I took the plan of this house and tweaked it until it fit our family's lifestyle}:

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Since the new house will be out in the country on 2 acres, we thought it would be fitting to have a more Southern style home as opposed to the Mediterranean style homes that are everywhere in Florida.  I love the front porch...a swing is a must have out there!


My main area I have been obsessing over is the kitchen.  It's where the most time is spent and it has to be functional as well as beautiful.  The kitchen is going to be open to the living room so there is no interrupted flow.  I have a galley kitchen now and I always feel left out in there, never knowing what's going on in the main part of the house.

I will gladly take any of these...

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Can you tell I want a white kitchen?


I would really enjoy a deck like this, it would be so nice to sit out here in the fall when the weather is perfect.

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I am so glad I get to share this journey with you guys, the building process, finish selections, and all that jazz!!

designer crush :: natalie umbert

The blogosphere has been buzzing about Natalie Umbert lately so I had to take a look for myself.  Um, now I can see why!!

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in NYC, she was surrounded by endless design inspiration and opportunities.  After graduation, she scored a position working with Mariette Himes Gomez...can you imagine?!  Working there gave her valuable experience in high-end, luxury design and she decided to open her own firm, atelier natalie umbert.

Her design style is a mix of modern and traditional with many global influences.  Okay, enough talking about her, here is some examples of her work...

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monday musing

favorite find of the week 10.8

One of the cool things about my mom living part-time in England is the great magazines she brings over for me to read!  On her last visit to Florida, she brought the UK Version of Marie Claire. The articles were great, but what I loved looking at were all the different clothing stores they have. One ad in particular stuck out to me, Next Direct.  Their clothes looked gorgeous and reasonably priced. Well, imagine my surprise when I got a catalog from them the next day and their clothes are available for purchase here in the States. Yay! While I had plenty marked on my wish list from the catalog, what I found the most of was great, stylish clothes for my daughter. I know where I am buying all her fall/winter clothes this year! 


Here are some items from the Women's line:

Aren't these next outfits adorable??

Have a great weekend!

hooked

I have been really noticing antlers everywhere lately...I am trying to decide if I like them.  All the photos I found, especially where they are placed in a modern setting, have made me lean towards like.  What do you guys think...yay or nay??

Eric Cohler for Lee Jofa {check out the antler print fabric}

Ballard Designs

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forget first class, i'll take coach

I stumbled across this AMAZING Manhattan home in Vogue...it belongs to Reed and Delphine Krakoff.  Reed is the president and creative director for Coach and his wife, Delphine, is an interior designer who owns her own company, Pamplemousse.  I think what amazes me most about this space is that three children under the age of 5 live here!! Goes to show you don't have to sacrifice your style once you have children.

Reed and Delphine describe themselves as collectors, truly enjoying every piece they bring into the home.  They study furniture and art, immersing themselves in the history of it all.  Considering the home is around 18,000 square feet (originally a building consisting of 12 apartments), they have plenty of space to put all the treasures they may collect during their lifetime.

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