Thursday, June 24, 2010

Outdoor Dining


It's that time of year when we fire up the BBQ and dine outside with family and friends. Instead of making your guest balance there food on flimsy (and not good for the environment) paper or (worse for the environment) Styrofoam plates, why not give them some style with substance? My suggestion would be to use melamine dinnerware. There are lots of reasons why I would choose melamine. In most cases it is made from organic substances, it's cheap, and comes in all kinds of fun designs. Some of my current favorites would be the floral chintz plates and cups (set of 4 for $19.95) from victoriantradingco.com.







Or these fun chintz and dots prints available from cspost.com.








There are also fun choices from pier1.com and target.com. (The bright colored ones are from Pier1)

I just think our outdoor events could be so much more friendly to the environment, and stylish with any of these great choices. There is no one time use (and then the trash), they are super cute, and if you are a klutz like me... you can drop them all you want without the worry of shattering glass. Happy grillin' everybody!!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Stupid England




Sorry, but this one is a long time coming...I was browsing at Barnes and Noble a few months back (which I must admit is a place Noah and I like too frequent) when a magazine caught my eye. Country Homes and Interiors looked like it might be some pages of pure bliss for me, so I picked it up, opened it, and was thrilled to realize I was right. It was pure bliss!! So, I grabbed it and took it to the register to make it mine. When I got it home I enjoyed each and every page and thought I would have to get a subscription... so I started to flip through it for one of those card thingys (you know, the ones that are always falling out in droves until you need one and then they are no where to be found). I finally found one and then to my dismay saw that it was an English magazine that was only available for subscription in England. LAME. Oh well, I guess the next time I get some change in my pocket (which seems to happen less and less frequently lately) I will just have to drive on over to B&N to get me a future issue, because who wants to miss pure bliss???

Friday, June 18, 2010

California Dreamin'


I am currently living in Southern Utah, and I love where I live. The desert here really is beautiful, and the red rock views sometimes take my breath away. Even though I consider myself a Utah girl now, I was born and raised in Southern California. While there are some thing I don't miss...graffiti, traffic, crazy house prices... there are some things I do miss. Besides my friends and family and the great weather, the thing I miss about Cali the most... THE BEACH!! I have always loved the beach and the ocean. My parents took us there often in the summer and we even camped on the beach for a week every year! It was amazing.

One thing I don't like about Southern Utah is the trend to go desert style with EVERYTHING including the decorating. I am much more a beach cottage girl then a desert adobe girl when it comes to the things I want in my living space. That is why I am SO HAPPY that Stanley Furniture has now come out with a Coastal Living line of furniture. I can bring the beach to me!! Mind you I know I need to sell my current house and buy a new one before I should worry about furniture, but this new line of furniture makes me soooo happy I can't help daydreaming about it. I can almost feel the ocean breeze now!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Old Hollywood!


Oh how I wish I was 100 lbs thinner and made a whole lot more money because I have fallen in love with the Anthropologie swimwear line yet again this year, but I especially love this little number for $198. Isn't it ta-die-for-retro-cute??? Hope everyone is having a happy stylish summer so far.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Lonny


Inspiration at your fingertips! I love Lonny magazine. It is an online decorating magazine that is full of bright pictures and great inspiration and ideas. What is even better is since it is online it is pretty "green". No paper wasted, or gas used to deliver it to you. Check it out at lonnymag.com or follow it on facebook.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Hmmmm....


I'm trying to figure out how to get a table and view like this even though I live in the desert. Any ideas?? LOL
I love this picture. It makes me want to be the hostess of a fun brunch with girlfriends.
I love where I live... truly... but every once in awhile I miss GREEN. Guess this picture will give me my fix for the day.
* photo from Pottery Barn