Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Phoenix and Co. Jewelry

So I am super excited. Last week I was notified that I won my first ever blog giveaway. And let me tell you, I can not wait to use my $50 gift to choose some of this hot jewelry. Phoenix and  Co. Jewelry  has some really unique and fun pieces. Here are a few of my favorites:

Jessie Fishbone Necklace


Jestine Brass and Agate Cuff

Devon Thorny Cuff


Aren't these pieces great?! I might have to order all three.

Be sure to check out the website http://www.phxandco.com/.

Sending a big thank you to Brianne at Phoenix and Co. Jewelry and to Alison at http://www.longdistanceloving.net/
You gals made my weekend!




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Decorating with Turquoise and Red

We are still on vacation - and waiting for the last of Tropical Storm Beryl to move out. A big thank you to Cyndi Murphy for your fantastic (and always descriptive) guest blog. You can visit  her blog, Musings of the Meandering Murphys at http://meanderingmurphys.blogspot.com/



Thanks so much to Jennifer at Oo-la-la for letting me guest blog while she's holidaying in St. Simons with her family! Jennifer's style and mine can be quite different, though we always seem to love what the other wears/decorates/eats/whatever. I was more than happy to share my latest obsession as a guest blogger -- turquoise and red.
 


My husband and I are living overseas in Australia on a work assignment. Typically, there are two ways to move with an international company: 1) Bring your own furniture from home (more specifically, whatever you can fit in a shipping crate), or 2) Rent a home that is already furnished. With our moving circumstances, we opted for Option 2.

Long story short: We hated it. When the furnished apartment's lease came up, we promptly moved out and bought the bare minimum amount of cost-efficient furniture to make a comfortable home in an unfurnished apartment. While we did have some added expenses, we also had the freedom to decorate with essentially a blank slate. I figured I might as well try something a little daring and different, especially since I was living abroad and this was not lifelong investment furniture.

After visiting a fellow expat's home who was using turquoise as an accent, I knew I wanted to use it, too. I searched online for a couple of turquoise 'inspiration photos' and stumbled across turquoise and red together. I loved it immediately but thought I could never pull it off properly. I looked at a few other colour options, but always came back to the turqu-red combination, especially with a white background.



This vivid combo was definitely something daring and different for me, but not so radical that I couldn't find pieces that worked together. In the back of my mind, I knew could always split the colors to use separately in different rooms if it didn't work or I grew tired of it. When heading to the shops, I took some photos with me to capture the right shades of red and turquoise for consistency.



The first piece I bought was the rug. This wasn't exactly by design but by incredible sale price. On the rug sale rack, I spotted a plush, thick pile rug with different shades of turquoise -- perfect for matching up any varieties of turqu that I settled on. I told the salesman that I hadn't actually started decorating the apartment yet, so it didn't make sense to buy a rug before I bought a stick of furniture. He argued that the room decor should be built from the floor (or rug) up. He added that it's much harder to match a rug after the fact. Of course, he is a rug salesman but his argument made sense.
 


I asked the price, and he flipped the rug over to get the dimensions and item number. That's when I realized that I had picked out an Espirit Home Collections rug... the most expensive brand the store carried. Of course. I didn't even know Espirit made rugs, but I'm not shocked that their high prices carry over to the home goods, too.

He checked the sale price and expressed his shock at how low the price was for that size and type of rug (again, he is a salesman, but it appeared to be genuine shock). It was still higher than I would normally pay for a rug, but it really did sound like a good deal. Why not? I paid and pulled the car around for pickup. As he was loading it in the car, he confessed that he had misquoted me the wrong price (he had looked at the smaller size price) but it was too late -- I got the rug for about 65% off the retail price instead of the advertised 25%! It was a mistake definitely in my favour, and it's definitely been worth it.

Now that I had a central rug, I had to get busy on the furniture. I figured the best way to pull off this striking colour combination was against all white. I found a furniture store in Australia similar to the American furniture store Rooms-To-Go. It had a stunning Chanel-inspired quilted white leather sofa set that would be the living room's focal point. The other pieces just fell into place.


The result was expressive and clean, yet serene. Our new home feels bright and cheery -- a relaxing, happy abode to call our own down under. When it comes time to leave Australia, we'll try to bring the furniture back to America or re-sell it. Regardless, it's ours to enjoy for now.
 




 




Friday, May 25, 2012

Fridays Fancies





Who is ready for a long weekend?! Friday kicks off one of my favorite weeks of the year - family vacation. I look forward to waking up to this view every day:

St. Simons Island, GA

And it's also the one time of the year I get to spend time with my sister, brother, and their families. It's a crowded, but wonderful few days!

How will you be spending the holiday?

Memorial Day Margarita


Perfect Memorial Day Outfit



Yes, please



Make sure to check out more fabulous fancies on

Pink, White, & Blue


1. Earrings - Teal Door Vintage
2. J. Crew Shirt
3. Forever 21 Bracelet
4. Coach Bag
5.Markus Lupfer
6. Forever 21 Bracelet
7. Christian Louboutin






Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Nursery Sneak Peak

Nurseries are always fun (the decorating that is - not the dirty diapers and midnight feedings).
But, we are facing a difficult decorating conundrum with trying to sell our townhome. I honestly wanted to go in a completely different direction- including fun wallpaper. But since we have no clue if we will move before or after our new baby boy - keeping things simple is the easiest solution. I started with this for my inspiration:


Reason number one -  I am drawn to the beach theme since we live on the coast. Reason number two - the current nursery is painted almost the exact same color. So with a change of fabric and a few decorations - we will have a simple (and money saving) nursery change.


The fabric I chose is called "Crab Netting" in sunset orange by Karen Robertson. This will be used for decorative bedding, changing pad cover, and chair cushions.


This is an original watercolor by the amazing and sweet Sarah Swanson. I have a series of three to bring more of the coral tones into the room.
Be sure to check out her shop, Gallery Wall. You will not believe what a steal these fun pieces are.
I need one in hot pink as well.


What do you think so far? I will post pictures of the finished room in August. Can't wait to see for myself!


Monday, May 21, 2012

Southern Cornbread Salad

I have wanted to try this Paula Dean recipe for over a year now. So glad I finally made it. It was a perfect side for a cookout we attended this past weekend. And easy too. I cheated and used Jiffy for the the cornbread - substituting buttermilk for the milk (and I added some jalapenos as well). This recipe is definitely a keeper.



Ingredients

  • 1 batch cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes, recipe follows
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
  • 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
  • 1 (8-ounce) bottle ranch dressing
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

In the bottom of a large glass bowl, place cornbread cubes. Layer beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and cheese on top of cornbread. Spread ranch dressing evenly over cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Cornbread:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Generously season a cast iron skillet with up to 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Preheat the pan either in the oven or on the stove over medium-high heat.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Pour batter into the preheated cast iron skillet. Place skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. If making individual size cornbreads in smaller pans, they will require a shorter cooking time.

Serves 8

Double Layered - Yum

I heart Purple

It seems that everything I am purchasing this spring is purple or lavender. I've always liked those shades, but I see a real trend in my choices!

Knotted thong sandal - Victoria Secret
On sale for $23!!




Essie Nail Color - Lapis of Luxury
I bought this last weekend and it's now gracing my toes.


I love Lush bath bombs and bubble melts. I make several orders per year and I am never disappointed. This a new bath bomb - Phoenix Rising.



I've had my eye on this pretty purple bracelet for a few months now. Looks like I will be placing a Stella & Dot order soon.



What great purple goodies have you seen this season?
Have a great Monday!


Monday, May 14, 2012

Mother's Day Highlights

Hello! I'm starting fresh this Monday with a new blog post. Between travel, life, and still trying to sell our townhouse I am a blogging slacker.
I do hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend. We sure did. Grant and Greyson surprised me with these goodies:


This is a bad picture. But, awesome necklace!

Earrings

Besides the above gifts, I was also surprised with a Tulip & Iris flower delivery. And I ate every pregnant craving imaginable. We found time around my feeding schedule to enjoy a downtown walking tour, the Farmers Market, and Second Sunday on King St.
Maybe I walked off some of that food.....

Thank you Grant & Greyson for a perfect weekend. You are my true gifts.
I love you!