Splurging.

Since I first met the lovely Elizabeth Tolley, I knew I needed to invest in some "good" makeup. Not the crap you can get in your local drug store.

Well... in college & after I used Rimmel foundation. I thought it was step up from the Maybelline liquid my mom had used (I was so wrong).

I then decided to try the Bare Minerals stuff. Loved it.... but recently I've needed a change. I decided it was time to take the plunge.

A few weeks ago I bought some Maybelline Fit blush.... hated it. The color just wasn't there, it wasn't working for me. Decided it was time to finally get that Nars blush Elizabeth used on my wedding day.... Nars Peaches. To the mall I went.

I went in for 2 reasons.... blush & nailpolish. I splurged on a bottle of Essie last weekend while in Wilmington... wow. worth every penny of the $8 I spent on that bottle. It lasts SO much longer than crappy nailpolish! It didn't chip for 5 days last week... I repainted them on Saturday for a wedding & they haven't chipped yet.

"Lady Like"

Well, Sephora carries Dior foundation. I asked one of the sales girls if  there was ANYTHING comparable to it.... she sadly shook her head & told me no, it really is the best. So, I splurged. $60+ for a can of spray foundation is more than double I've ever spent on any makeup product. I'm 3 days in using it.... OMG... so love! It's a super fast application & covers like a dream. I didn't use any concealer this morning :-)

I'll let you know how long it lasts. Sephora's website says about 60 days.

Here's the blush I came out with... Nars Sex Appeal. It seems to be a little light for my skin (I'm always afraid of getting a color too dark!) So maybe next time I'll go for something with more color.

.....

While in Wilmington (when I got the Essie) I also picked up some lip stain. I think it's the new thing for girls my age. We don't wear lipstick, so this is what the cosmetic industry has come up with to sell us something. I picked up "flushed". This stuff is the ticket! It goes on and doesn't come off on anything! Nothing gunky or sticky :-)

A Steal.

It's no secret I am a Lilly Pulitzer lover. I blame my older sister for this obsession.

Well.... I was spending some quality time on the phone with the Windstream customer support team (hello an hour and a half wasted of my life). So I was perusing twitter while on hold multiple times. Of course I follow Lilly.

Sale Alert. I couldn't help myself! With dresses that I wanted back in May 1/2 off or more.... how could I say no?!?!?

I got 2 great dresses :-)

Procrastination Payoff.

Over the weekend I was down in Wilmington to assist photographing a wedding. Well, of course I couldn't drive 4 hours just to work all day and have no fun?! So I got there Friday evening and made plans to hit the beach with my BFF on Saturday morning.

We got up & decided to go to Carolina Beach so I could check on our lot & the progress of the street paving project. We got a letter saying they were going to begin the work on July 11.

We pulled up to Texas Ave... low and behold! Our street was blocked off because of road work! Yay!

The really exciting part... because of the paving, they took out the trees!!!! This was a project Jeremy planned to tackle with his dad & friend sometime this fall. There weren't any large trees, but enough to be a full days work. Now our street will be paved AND we'll be able to drive straight on to our lot without driving through the 2 behind us! Wahoo!

I video'd this exciting news & sent it to Jeremy :-)



Side note... I can't believe we've owned this for over a year now! Nuts!

See video here of how it looked the day we bought it!

Rug.

Thinking this rug might looks super cute under my desk. 

Branching Out.

You know how I'm terrified of pattern?

I found this girl, and she inspired me. 

I went shopping after work yesterday. I needed some "me" time.

Hit some major scores... 2 of which I'm wearing today!

White Jacket (Willi Smith) It's a smidge big, but for $7 I didn't care.... and it's fully lined in a khaki python print. Win.

Yellow & white striped Izod top.... this is 2 fold branching out.... 1. I never wear yellow. 2. It's striped. .... and it was $2!!! I was sold.

Pink shell. I can't remember the designer. $5!

** I have on navy shorts with this... kinda hard to see

I also tried on a leopard print skirt, but it was too big, and the zipper was wacky... really wanted it though... would have been awesome with the pink top!

Need.

Dear J. Crew,

Run one of your effing sales so I can buy these.

Love,
someone recently obsessed with tortoise shell.

..... ** update.... they don't have size 7s :-(

Office Woes.

After being parked next to the beautiful sofa in High Cotton Home on Tuesday.... it made me want to reupholster that damn pink sofa again..... but, for now.... I am going to stick it out with the pink pattern. I want to make a solid lumbar pillow for it.... thoughts on a fabric color? Solid white would be safe.... but boring.

I decided to randomly move my pink chair into the "livingroom" area..... I kinda like it! But.... I think I'll move it to the corner closer to the door (on the other side of the sideboard) ....

here's what I'm thinking....

Loving a coffee table like this.... I'm stalking craigslist for one to paint!

Don't ya love this pink wingback in this livingroom??

Source: havenandhome.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Jr League Volunteer.

Last night I happily did my first "volunteer" work for the Jr League..... I got to go to a high end home furnishings store in Charlotte, High Cotton Home..... mingle with Charlotte's finest (including the lovely Emily A. Clark!) and sell drink tickets :-) Tough work.

Wish I had photos to share.... but I don't. :-( One of the Jr. League photo members was there, and did take my pic with another Leaguer but who knows if I'll ever see it.

Great event, BEAUTIFUL furniture! We were parked next to a white sofa with bright pillows.... ugh.... hello office? I wish.

For Sale.

2 Items for sale...... both new!!


1. Dwell Studio Rug.
    $140 OBO
    5x8

2. Mirrored Coffee Table
   $100 OBO

Pretty Office Goods.

Today I discovered iomoi. Holy goodness. I could have one of everything on their site.

I love seeing offices that have accessories that match the decor.... like the pens on their desk :-)

I cannot wait to have these on my desk!

Pink Chairs, Curtains & Rugs?

Well..... at least I have an idea of how the chair will look, that's good, right?

Yes... I know the office is a mess. I need a vacuum in here.... might make a Target trip to get one.

Also.......... the curtains..... I'm not sure how I feel about them. Are they too busy? Too dark?

I bought 2 sets of natural khaki ones at Ikea a while ago.... thoughts? Would the neutral khaki be better?

Ikea

I'll also be putting a rug under my desk..... not sure what though. Ideas are welcome!

Yummy Dinners & White Flags

Last night I found myself in charge of our dinner..... sometimes I pick, sometimes Jeremy picks.... but we had nearly no dinner food in our house so I made a grocery run.... I wanted a strawberry salad I'd had before....

I'd picked this up a while ago and added fresh strawberries.... super yum! Only I bought it at the Teeter, and not Lowes, where I was heading.

Of course Lowes didn't stock it. So, I thought I could make it myself! I picked up a cheapo lettuce mix, fresh strawberries and a half of a baked chicken from the market section. Then we added on the fixins....


What we used:
Bag lettuce
Fresh strawberries cut up
Pecans
Craisins
Blue Cheese
Baked chicken

and...... homemade strawberry vinaigrette! (the one thing I really love that comes in the kit pictured) I found a recipe and made it! (although we didn't have the tarragon, so I skipped it)

Eat your heart out Panera!!






.............. In unrelated news.... after fighting the wingback for 3 hours last night.... I'm done. I'm waving the white flag. It's getting professionally done. 

Wingback Hell.

When given the option of spending $120 vs days of your time, pay the money every time.

This wingback chair is misery in a physical state. I spent about 8 hours removing staples. JUST.REMOVING.STAPLES.  that's enough to make a woman crazy.

Let me just tell you about my weekend....

I got over to my office about 1015AM on Saturday morning. I cut all the pieces out using the old ones as patterns. Then I knew I needed to get sewing on the piping. So... I sewed.... and sewed.... and fought with the bobbin... and sewed more. Then I was starving & had a lunch date and Lowes trip with hubs. He came over to the office & removed the last piece off the chair (the dreaded arm piece).

Thank God, I thought. I can finally start stapling! not. I had to go home get the compressor, go to Handcock because I ran out of piping and broke the needle on my sewing machine... got to office. Left keys at home :-( So Jeremy had to let me in.... feeling a bit defeated, I decided to work on the cushion... that part actually went ok... but I didn't get it finished. Home I went.

Sunday.... I went back to the office about 11.... attempted to finish the cushion... didn't happen... of course the top & bottom don't line up right, so the back of the cushion isn't sewn shut.... but it does look pretty good.

Then it was time to start stapling. I got the first two pieces on, no problem.... (the piece that goes under the cushion & the back rest).... then came the frustration....

The inside/top/front of the arm was next. How on earth you get this piece on without wrinkles is beyond me. Same with the inside piece of the wing. I can get it around the rounded part that juts out, but not so much where it cuts back in near the bottom :-(

I got them on there.... but it isn't pretty. Then I quit.

I'm sticking to much simpler projects from now on....


OH... PS....

we returned that cabinet I bought at Ikea last week... decided it wasn't worth $80... and bought a jute rug instead... see it above??

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Office Art.

One of the things Bryn suggested at our meeting was a "gallery wall" of sorts. I knew I liked the idea, but didn't want it to be ALL photos.... so it got me thinking about all the southern things I could frame.

Well, I've officially started to put this plan in action. I made a trip to Ikea yesterday (which, BTW only reminded me why I don't visit Ikea on the weekends!) I went in search of a piece to house my giant printer/scanner/ect. and to look at frames & rugs.

I came home with this piece

We were having a hard time located something small enough, but with tall enough drawers to house the 11" tall, massive printer. I didn't take into account the depth of the drawers though.... (as in from the front of the piece to the back). The drawers are too short. UGH. Luckily, the overall width isn't, so Jeremy is going to rework the top drawer and build a shelf and put the drawer front on hinges, making a door out of it.


Anyway.... I'll fill you in more when it's completed. So... I went to check out frames... I ordered 2 pieces from Rifle Paper Co. and they came on Saturday... so naturally, I wanted them framed asap! I also wanted to get a frame for a pinwheel I had from a wedding..

The heart is a print, and the wedding cake is one of their cards.

They were actually out of the small, white shadow box frames.... so I bought it in black... I'll either paint it white, or a fun color. (don't think I didn't try and rip apart their display and take one of those... I tried)

Bryn also mentioned a natural rug to fill much of the "living room" area of the office... then layer another on top of it..... She said she'd got one at Ikea, so I went looking.... I didn't find the one she mentioned, but did find another one... I might go back & get it...