Dining in Peapod Green

Before it was mine...

An empty room...
Currently with finishing work to be done: The wall color is peapod green and pictures do it no justice. The color really makes the dental crown molding stand-out {it's the real stuff too!} There's a rug waiting to be transported, and I'd love to find a gold or stark black rococo mirror for that corner wall instead of the 2 empty frames. Overall, I tried to tone down the formality of the Dining Room because my lifestyle is way more laid-back...

Weekend Honor

Saturday night, Pink Pimpette came by for a visit and surprised me by asking if I would stand-in as her Maid of Honor...I was ecstatic! From the very first time she was introduced to our family, it was as if she had been a little sister all along. In fact, sometimes I forget that she's my brother's fiance first- he's sweet to let me steal her away as a close friend too.

LOVE YOU, YOU DARLING GIRL!

Then we were on a hunt for the perfect Wedding shoes. They needed to be spectacular because these are her wedding shoes, but they must also be flats or very low heels, as she was close in height to her husband-to-be {same issue as my dear Buckeye Belle}. And after a lengthy search, we successfully found Pink Pimpette Caparros bridal shoes.

Our next trip took us to Ulta, a beauty-extravaganza-store not nearly as expensive as Sephora. I hope the word gets out about this place! They carry several brands I didn't expect to find: bareMinerals, smashbox, stila, Estee Lauder, Clinique, etc.

Also, I would like to make an official public announcement: I am now boycotting Bonefish Grill. We had a horrible wait at dinner after being told it was only a short 15-20 minutes, this somehow more than doubled. Pink Pimpette and I personally saw at least 3 parties seated before us and another poor couple waiting with us had placed reservations but had been waiting equally as long. For a great restaurant with great food, a wait like this would have been nothing; however, Bonefish is a chain restaurant with so-so food, lighting that was suspiciously low {it's not that nice of a restaurant...we think they were trying to save on electricity}, and Pink Pimpette noticed a not-so-pleasant fishy restuarant odor as we were being seated {from not-so-fresh fish}. Although the prices were relatively cheap, seafood entrees from $15-22, unfortunately sometimes you get what you pay for. If you want well-priced seafood in Birmingham, forget the chain restaurants, I'd recommend The Fish Market downtown.

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Pink Pimpette and I had such a fun, girly Sunday:
church...lunch...coffee...shopping...manicure & pedicure

While Pink Pimpette & I were out and about yesterday, we stopped by Saks. She found a ridiculously beautiful "exit dress" for her Wedding Reception departure- white strapless, hits at knee with a black sash and large bow at the hip.

And then I found this little Kay Unger number. I was too excited not to post. Yes that is me, without makeup AND without the obligatory sucker-inner Spanx underthings. Sorry, but hope you get a picture of how beautiful the dress really is.

Of course, I didn't get a thing done in preparation for upcoming events (week-long business trip to Cleveland right before hosting Pink Pimpette's bridal shower!). But better to live in the moment...those minor things (like cleaning, yard work, decorating) always have a way of working themselves out.

Nine Miles

Oh yeah! 'Nuff said =)

The Fashion of Youth

Is it bad that I'm still shopping at Forever21?

Darn that number. Just like Seventeen magazine, they've pigeon-holed themselves by making it impossible for someone above that age to feel completely comfortable purchasing the magazine/clothes in public. {as a side note: ironically, I liked Seventeen probably up until I was 21}

Of course, they do add the word, "Forever" in front of the number. That should excuse a 27-yr old, who is 6+ yrs beyond, from the faux pas of purchasing and wearing these clothes...right? C'mon they're cheap and thank goodness for the "privacy" of Online shopping.

Here are some of my recent finds:

This flowy flower blouse {$17.80} was featured on Cupcakes and Cashmere- too cute! With a cami underneath, I can even pull it off with a suit for work. Or I'll pair it with shorts and strappy flat sandals on the weekend...

A pretty satin top {$17.80} will be great for date night or a Girl's night out paired with dark skinny jeans, stilletos, gold dangly earrings, and my pale, pale green BR clutch...

And since it's still Summer, I couldn't resist this vintage-print tunic {$19.80}. I'll have to wait and see the length to see if it can be worn as a dress on its own, or if pants are required. I suppose I could go either Hippie, preppy, or all-American depending on how the outfit is put together...

And then I couldn't resist this purple dress {$19.80}. Are you kidding me? It's under $20!?! Simple. Pair with my nude Prada heels and maybe no jewelry except for the pear-shaped diamond earrings. One time when Buckeye Belle complimented me on them, I immediately replied, "Oh, but they're fake" and without hesitation she goes, "Okay Oprah" Haha! Fake or not, Oprah earrings will go nicely with this dress...

A Place to Put the Pots

Breathe in...breathe out...

That's fresh air and the great outdoors!

I have a small-medium sized deck that needs lots of help. So far, I've installed iron plant boxes, furnished an outdoor rug, 2 (inexpensive..and kind of cheap looking) chairs, and a small table. But before I invest in my dream outdoor furniture, right now I'm thinking I need a potting bench as I was noticing that my pile of gardening supplies doesn't look so lovely stuffed in a corner.
Here are some selections of what I've found Online so far...

WalMart for $160

PottingBenches.com for $180

Smith & Hawken for $200

Target for $440

On the Move

I think the move bug must be going around: Dear Friend just moved to Hotlanta, my friend Hess on the Hill moved into her new DC digs, and Pink Pimpette is preparing for Dallas.

While relocating includes not-so-fun parts of moving: saying goodbyes, the physical move, the pains of settling-in and making a new home...once the worst parts are over with, you have a new house, new reasons to celebrate, and a good excuse to send out correspondence!

One of my favorite things after moving was sending out Move Announcements to friends and family. I found these on Fine Stationery, a wonderful Online source with a wide selection of paper goods. And apparently my tastes don't veer far from home as I unknowingly chose a design by Stacy Claire Boyd, a NYC designer who now resides in Birmingham!

One of my old high school friends moved to Boston in June and just sent out this darling postcard...

And here is an ADORABLE one from Hess on the Hill. The colors are great and I still can't get over the moving box with a celebratory gal offering her cheers from unpacking. Great find Hess...

Here's another cute one I found on Fine Stationery...
And for those of us who will not be moving again anytime soon, we always have the pleasure of sending a nice housewarming welcome- whether it be a simple card, traditional flowers or plant, or goodies. I especially like this gift from Cheryl & Co that's packaged in a house-shaped box...

P.S. This post is also meant to serve as a gentle reminder that Buckeye Belle should add this stationery type to The Paper Nest's repertoire as well...hint hint!

À Tes Souhaits

Today's a very special day for our darling BETTY...it's her Birthday!

Betty, may you have a beautiful day filled with much happiness and joy... may you celebrate life and all the beauty and love it brings.

Thank you God for bringing this wonderful friend into my life!

Betty's Birthday Bash at Bottega's {2007}

Joyeux Anniversaire mon cher Betty!

À tes souhaits...

Have One...On Me!

One of Summer's sweet pleasures:

Lime Sherbet...YUM!

Celebrate Good Times

Pink Pimpette's Gettin' Hitched

Time to Celebrate!

Well, the shower's not for another 3 1/2 weeks, but it's already snuck up on me and I just sent the invites out today (I know, but at least it's only a couple of days later than planned).

The Invites

Martha Stewart Water Lily Invitation Collection- They came with response cards, but I printed directions to the house on those sheets and inserted them in the back after the invite was tied with the ribbon belly band.

Shower Guestbook

I went ahead and purchased the matching Guestbook and will fill every other page with photos of the couple.

Decorations

The Dining Room table will house the Guestbook, framed photos of the couple, childhood pictures of Pink Pimpette, and a planting pot with instructions for guests to write down blessings and/or "seeds of wisdom" for the Bride.

Pink paper lanterns over the food table...

And then flowers arrangements throughout the house...To Eat

We'll have traditional southern tea fare:

Cake / Cookies / Brownies / Strawberry Squares / Fruit / Cheese Straws / Cheese / Crackers & Dip / Mints /Pink Lemonade / Iced Tea / Sherbet Punch

Paper Goods
This weekend, Razz-ma-Tazz & I will be in search of some super-cute pink patterned paper goods (plates / napkins / cups). Anyone know of a good place?

Lovely, Girly

I *heart* pretty dresses! And Anthropologie currently has some lovely offerings (well, don't they always).

This is a fun summer dress I got on sale. Salad images are embroidered across the bottom, it's quirky enough to be interesting, but not too kitchsy. This will be great for a picnic, a shower, or a Saturday luncheon with the girls.

Here's another pretty sundress. It's also on sale, and yellow is such a sunny shade. Too bad they didn't have it in my size...
Perfect for a beach or pool party. Maxi dresses are a big hit this Summer, I hope they stick around!
I love the crochet-detailing at the neckline. The beautiful, feminine shape and the unexpected band of brown at the bottom makes this a great date night dress. Speaking of which, I have had NONE in the past month. Unless you count a "friend date" with Crunchy Boy. But I don't.

Gypsy Glam

Before it was mine...

An Empty Room... An eclectic mix of Gypsy Glam...

The wall across from the bed has been barren for months, and originally I was searching for either a shallow-depth chest-of-drawers, a long console table, or some sort of furniture for light storage. This past weekend I found the Pagoda Etagere Shelves at Pier 1...they were a great fit.

Silver White Winters That Melt Into Springs...

These are a few of my favorite things

1. Not Being Average: I remember being young and wanting to feel like I fit-in and was "normal," just like everybody else. Thank goodness that was just a phase! It's not that I now purposefully do things against the norm or social mores, but I certainly have reached a point where I'm very comfortable with who I am, what I believe in, where I'm going, and realizing there's always growth and changes to even that.

2. Fresh Flowers: I've been splurging lately. It started out with the 2-dozen white roses on sale at Whole Foods. Then I fell for the white hydrangeas 3 weeks in a row. White flowers really tend to pop in my Living Room with the background collection of white found items in the black built-ins.

3. Unexpected Packages: My boss sent me a great CD mix of Blues music. I had mentioned before how much I liked Big Daddy O, who he had introduced me to back in May. I thought the package was just some work papers, but what a nice surprise!

4. Planning Parties: I love to host parties and in a little more than a month, Pink Pimpette is marrying my brother. So I'm hosting her Bridal Shower and am excited to plan everything out!

5. Avocados: My favorite fruit. Mom makes regular chicken salad and then halves avocados and serves the salad inside. I feel like "Bubba Green"- Let's see there's: avocado guacamole, avocado casserole, avocado salad, avocados plain, shrimp avocado, avocado soup, chicken salad avocado... Here's my avocado lunch yesterday {chicken salad=chicken, sweet relish, red onion, light mayo, honey mustard, slivered almonds}YUM

6. Barnes and Noble: I know, I know. Some people have their allegiance to the small, local, mom and pop book shops (I totally get the allure...remember "You've Got Mail"?) But with the larger chain, they're open until 11pm every night, they have a well-stocked cafe serving Starbucks coffees AND vanilla butter cream cupcakes...my FAVE. As well as a plethora of books.

7. Limited Imagination: This sounds like a funny favorite, but it's really in relation to prayers and then how God answers them beyond what I ever could have brainstormed. I'm so thankful that I can't conceive the incredible blessings that await me.

She's Going the Distance

Lackadaisical Holiday- Last weekend I took a fat, lazy break. I pigged out all weekend, laid around watching movies...I think I only emerged from my hermit's nest once on Saturday and then for church on Sunday. And although I worked on Monday, I think a bit of the Holiday fever still spilled over to that day. No running for me.

And then last night, there was that nasty feeling where I just dreaded getting my rapidly growing backside into almost-too-small running shorts to give it a go at the gym again. Who wants to run 5 miles when you know you'll be carrying at least an additional 5-7 lbs from the weekend binge?

But when I arrived, somehow, there was a random burst of energy. And I ran EIGHT miles easily. Well, it was an average snail's pace of 8'46" per mi. But I do want to add that the only reason I stopped running was because the endorphin high was wearing off a bit and I started to get bored from about mile 7 on.

I know for you serious runners out there, this is a paltry feat, but it was huge for me! The last time I ran 8 miles was actually with Abercrombie Model my junior year of college...gosh that was 7 years ago. And I'd gotten blisters then from a combination of bad socks and old tennies. But not last night. I felt like a warrior!

Speaking of serious runners, when I bought my new shoes at the Trak Shak a couple of weeks ago, I met a preggers runner (well she was only 6.5 wks along) who's still running at 70 miles a week at a ridiculously fast pace of 7 min/mi!!!