Wednesday, November 30, 2011

the story of.....







































1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

I have always been a fan of tortoise shell.....in fact I still have a bracelet from when I was a little girl...a little cuff.  So many fun options out there!


And the hare....I have no real 'place' in my house for this lovely little gal, but I absolutely love her...and think she would look so cool on the wall.








I hope you all have a great Wednesday!


A quick random sidenote....today marks not only the end of November, but also 30 days in a row of me posting!!  Woo hoo! <insert pat on the back here>  My friend cck introduced me to BlogHer...and through that NaBloPoMo....National Blog Posting Month.  The challenge was to post every day for the entire month of November...and I did it!!!  I must admit some days were easier than others, but all in all it was a wonderful experience (thanks cck!).


Thank you to all who come and visit the blog, and a special thank you to those who comment...those comments make my day!  If you enjoy what you see/read...tell your friends!! :)


talk soon!
cp

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Spec-tacular!

Raise your hand if you wear glasses?  Raise your hand if you get sick of your glasses after a year or so?


I have both hands up in the air!


Meet Warby Parker..........an online eyeglass shop....prescription lenses/fantastically stylish frames......for.....$95! They also have sunglasses!


A great service they offer is the try-on at home feature........peruse the site...pick out 5 frames that you'd like to try on....and they will send them to you to play with for 5 days!  Ask your friends/family which frame(s) look best on you.......you return them (they pay shippping) and then you can order online!  Voila....new glasses at your doorstep!




Earlier this year I picked up two pairs....the Beckett and the Huxley....love them both and get all sorts of compliments on them. :)


If you need glasses to actually see....or just love the look of a cool frame as an accessory, I highly suggest checking them out!


And if you happen to be lucky enough to be in NYC - SoHo (to be exact) anytime in the next 5 weeks, check out their pop-up shop....Warby Parker's Holiday Bazaar.


see ya later! ;)

http://www.warbyparker.com/


Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday mania

I took the day off today (which I've decided will be my new tradition....stores are nice and quiet since everyone's gone back to work...or they are glued to their computers for cyber Monday!) to start in on my list of Christmas shopping......and I'm proud to say that I officially have 11 people done!


Plenty more to still do, but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I got home...huge!

I got home to find this fun surprise in my mailbox....I love Elle Decor. (who am I kidding, it's a magazine, of course I love it ;)).  Can't wait to read it tonight. 


















































This little gal showed up in our house today too........meet Evan (how cute is her pixie cut?!), our elf scout from the North Pole....her 'job' from today until Christmas Eve will be to monitor Ryan's behavior and report back to Santa.  Each night she travels back to the North Pole to give her report, and every morning she will be land in a different spot in our house.  The important thing to remember here is that she cannot be touched by Ms. Ryan....or she will lose her magic and not be able to travel back to the North Pole.......I'll let you know every once in awhile how things are coming along. ;)












































And finally......I enjoyed my first night by light of the Christmas tree last night.....here was the view from my seat on the couch....pretty awesome. 







































































Sunday, November 27, 2011

holidaze....


Today our house went from gourds (for Thanksgiving) to full on Christmas cheer....and I must admit that I love it.


A few pictures of the current state of our place....


ahhh, Christmas is officially in the air....




powder room cheer










































































kitchen island cheer










































































I'm giddy with the thought of settling in to watch a show or two by the lit up Christmas tree tonight....it is hands down the thing I will enjoy most over the next five weeks or so....the white lights on the tree, a lit candle, etc.....all of these equaling a cozy evening.


Hope you had a lovely weekend.


talk soon


cp

Saturday, November 26, 2011

saturday snapshots

Today's few shots are from one of my favorite family traditions.....Christmas tree cutting day!





Ryan & I ready to brave the wet tree fields


Our afternoon tradition of shopping in downtown Naperville.....ornaments!!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

gobble gobble.....

or in our case.....oink oink (since we're a turkey-free house for this holiday)...pork
tenderloin....regardless....

Be grateful for all of the lovely things in your life.


Mine include....my family....my dear friends....my health.....laughter.....a creative outlet....and so many other countless things.


I hope you have a wonderful day, filled with good people, good food and drink...and lots of laughter.


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

linen envy






























If I thought for even one moment this would stay pristine, I would do primarily white linen in our bedroom....I love this bedroom scene.  A great combination of rustic and modern. 

 Swoon.


What do you prefer?  Color or white when it comes to bed linens?

talk soon
cp



image via: http://www.celadonathome.com/

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

love, American style

So, a few posts back, I showed you this lovely picture of Lauren Bush and her fiance David Lauren....

























and now they are officially married....their wedding took place at the Double R ranch in Ridgway, Colorado....the pictures are breathtaking.







Both of them outfitted by Ralph Lauren (David's father).  Everything I've read about this couple describes them as lovely, down-to-earth people, who have dedicated themselves to making change in this world.

cp



Monday, November 21, 2011

sshhhhh, I'm reading

How wonderful is this room?  I would kill (ok, that's dramatic, but you get where I'm going) for a room like this....to give into my magazine wh()re like tendencies and my pure love for books.....I love the pictures hanging on the front of the bookcase.....ahhhh.....

Sunday, November 20, 2011

charming....

Happy Sunday!


So, it's officially time to start holiday shopping....my brain keeps telling me it's summer, and yet it's Thanksgiving in a mere few days..yikes!


I've never been a huge fan of charms (on anything), but Anthropologie is doing a 'create your own' charm necklace, and I must admit..it's pretty cool.










This is the one I created....you can pick your necklace and then try various charms on and place them where you'd like.........I smell a fun Christmas gift for a cool lady in your life.


www.anthropologie.com


talk soon
cp

Saturday, November 19, 2011

saturday snapshot

Breaking Dawn......yep, we went to see it.  And well, it was interesting.  Kristen Stewart looked like death in about 1/2 the movie.  It was entertaining.....will it win any awards?  Not likely ;)


Afterward, we grabbed dinner...then enjoyed a little time at Barnes & Noble.....some of our reads below...including my newest book...Room.  


















Hope you had a great Saturday!

Friday, November 18, 2011

.....


Orange you glad it's Friday??! 

Ugh, I am.  It's been quite a week.

It's no secret that I love the color orange .....so, today I share a few pictures where this wonderful color is featured.

happy Friday!





Elle Decor

Elle Decor

New Balance for JCrew



Thursday, November 17, 2011

goofy girl crush

I have acquired a full-blown girl crush on Ms. Zooey Deschanel..........she's what they call the real deal.  She can sing, act and is a natural born comedian......have you checked out her new show...New Girl? 



If you haven't, you must stop what you're doing right now ...walk to your dvr, and set it to record the series....and then you'll have catch up on past episodes.  It is hysterical.  Like tinkle in your tights hysterical.


I promise....you will be so happy that you started watching.........now go....set that dvr!

And....happy Hanksgiving!!! ;)


talk soon
cp

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

who wants to move to brooklyn??

So, the Jenna Lyons has recently put her amazing Brooklyn home on the market........raise your hand if you want to join me in making a little real estate purchase. ;)

Riiiiiight, like that's going to happen..........but, we can at least be inspired (yet again) by her great eye for design...enjoy!





Tuesday, November 15, 2011

menswear as womenswear

You see it everywhere....women wearing clothing inspired by mens looks.....I've compiled a few of my recent favorites...which I feel would look great on either gender.

My favorite by far is the tie.....I love it when I see a woman wearing tie....so chic!




































Do you have any pieces that you love, regardless if it's a man or woman wearing them?

cp





Monday, November 14, 2011

you've got mail...

and it's good mail to boot!  The new JCrew Holiday catalog was waiting for me when I got home from work today.....I mean are you kidding me with all of the fantastic stuff in there?


geesh.



that metallic penny loafer is calling my name.....ever so softly....















































































cp

Sunday, November 13, 2011

isn't she lovely....

have any special lady in your life (mom, sister, daughter, friend) who you think of when you see this?

http://www.castleandthings.com/



or when you hear this?



I can think of quite a few women in my life that I'm blessed to know and share time with.

Happy Sunday, and remember to tell those women in your life, that you think they're special!

talk soon

cp


Saturday, November 12, 2011

saturday snapshot

Happy Saturday....night!


Our niece (also my god daughter) and nephew came over this afternoon for a sleepover.  Our time together has consisted of the following:



  • dog show (with our very patient and sweet labradoodle Oliver)
  • trip to the movies....Puss in Boots....really funny...even for adults
  • dinner....where the kids attempted to eat their entire meal with chopsticks...highly entertaining
  • singing and lots of shoulder dancing in the car....to Moves like Jagger
  • setting up of beds
  • impromptu dancing in the kitchen....again, to Moves like Jagger
  • craft time
Fun time... :)

why is everything so much sweeter when it's tiny? :)










































talk soon

cp

Thursday, November 10, 2011

i wish.....

My birthday is officially less than a month away! Yippee!!! 

Anyone who knows me for more than 5 minutes knows that I love my birthday.  Love it.  Frankly, I think everyone should be as nutty about their birthday as I am about mine...but I can only control mine, so I will continue with my love. :)

I put together a little wish list of things I would love for my birthday.  None of them overly extravagant....as I'm coming to find that it's the little things that I would love, but don't necessarily always want to get for myself.....































1. Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney
2. Essie nail polish - Cocktail Bling
3. JCrew - Ribbed Glovettes (heather gray)
4. Kate Spade - Twirl perfume
5. TOMS - Red Houndstooth Women's Vegan Classics
6. Crazy Stupid Love - DVD
7. Zara - Sequined Wallet
8. Keel's Simple Diary
9. West Elm: Hand-Blocked Zipper Case (feather gray / slate)


Who has a December birthday??  Or even one in November? What's on your wish list?


cp

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

brogue-mance

I love brogues.  I mean love them.  I currently have two pairs.  One rather basic dark tan pair, and another purchased this past early summer that are green suede.  And by green, I mean Kermit the frog green. They are crazy fun, and honestly one of the most comfortable pair of shoes that I own.

Then, just the other day...I came across these..........and if it's possible to fall for a shoe, I did. 































































what do you think?  I mean, I know that not everyone is a fan of the brogue......comment away!!!

talk soon

cp

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

feed (your soul)

Being the magazine wh()re that I am, I had no choice but to pick this up when I saw it at the book store....I couldn't even help myself...my arm just reached out and grabbed it.... ;)

Meet the lovely and inspiring Lauren Bush...and her new husband David Lauren (his father is the Ralph Lauren)


Lauren is the founder of FEED Projects.

FEED began in 2006 when Lauren Bush designed a bag to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) School Feeding program. As a WFP Honorary Student Spokesperson, Lauren visited countries around the world in Asia, Latin America, and Africa where WFP is operating and was inspired by the plight of the people she met on her travels. She took a special interest in WFP's School Feeding program, which feeds and educates hungry children. She first created the FEED 1 bag, a reversible burlap and organic cotton bag reminiscent of the bags of food distributed by WFP, to help raise funds and awareness around these school feeding operations. It was stamped with "FEED the children of the world" and the number ‘1’ to signify that each bag feeds one child in school for one year.

To date, FEED has raised over $6 million and 60 million meals.

Amazing.

They have a wonderful website:http://www.feedprojects.com/  where they not only give you the complete background/history of the organization, but also sell the FEED products..


This the FEED 2 Kenya bag that I've been wanting forever.  Not only is it great looking, but its purchase  provides nutritious school meals to two Kenyan children for an entire year.  Again, pretty amazing.

Check out this video....

With the holidays right around the corner, is there someone in your life that would appreciate a cool gift, while knowing that it's purchase also helped children in need?  I'm thinking the answer is yes. :)

talk soon

cp

Monday, November 7, 2011

happy day!!!!

Happy Monday....and a BIG birthday shout out to Lynn....it's your birthday, lady!! woo hoooo!!!!



enjoy every. single. minute. of. it.

:)
talk soon

cp

Sunday, November 6, 2011

why hello....

Mr. Daylight Savings...it's been awhile since we've seen you.....come on in and stay awhile.





and while we're on the subject of Clocks..........a little Coldplay for your Sunday morning.



enjoy your day of rest! :)

talk soon

cp

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Saturday snapshots

Happy Saturday. :)


A few quick snapshots on this lovely fall day.


homemade popcorn + netflix = fun


We've been enjoying a lowkey day today...just hanging out.  I did also get my haircut today (new salon and stylist...Mia Sorrella..Jessica, you were awesome!)...and I feel like a new person...amazing what a fresh cut can do for someone!!!

It's 5:33.....which is really 4:33, since daylight savings kicks in tonight.....I love this game we play with ourselves, kind of silly. ;)


talk soon

cp

Friday, November 4, 2011

breakfast of champions


































happy Friday!

How about a little honeycomb to start your day?....versions by JCrew and Post, both delicious!


What are you up to this weekend?  I fully plan on taking advantage of the extra hour we gain from Mr. Daylight Savings. ;) 

Next week will come the sad reality that the only daylight I'll see will likely be from my office window..........I'm not going to lie, I hate leaving work when it's only 4:30/5:00 and it's already pitch black... <insert sad face here>

until then...time to enjoy the weekend!!


talk soon

cp

Thursday, November 3, 2011

mother & daughter

I came across this mother/daughter shot this morning, and it made me smile....so I had to share.

I love how content they look together.


In my mind I pictured my daughter Ryan (9 years old) and I in the future....and considering she'll likely pass me up height wise in the next couple of years....this picture hit even closer to home. ;)



time goes by too fast.....

image via http://www.thesartorialist.com/






cp

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

i've got a good feeling

Today I embark on a little personal journey, one that's long overdue.  It's nothing earth shattering or worth making you lay awake at night wondering what it is...I promise.  But it's important to me, and one that I think will ultimately make me happier. :)


And as we all know, every good journey needs a theme song...and this one makes me smile and want to shake my booty, so I thought it was a perfect fit.


Wish me luck!  



I'll let you know the details later...promise.

talk soon

cp

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

fall purchases


a few recent fall purchases.....

hat: Target (only in stores)


love the bag and the boots, have yet to wear the hat..but soon!

and don't let the picture above deceive you.....the bag is BIG.....as evidenced by this picture below. ;)
I mean, it takes up my entire passenger seat in the car....

have you made any fun purchases lately?  what are they?  do tell!

Oh, and happy November 1st!!!


talk soon

cp