can you say slacker?

my sincere apologies once again for neglecting my dear blog.  i have a slue of excuses but i'll spare you the bulk of them.

so much to catch up on!  

first off, i am having such. big. fun watching my first 'celeb' client kick *ss on HGTV's design star.  i had the pleasure of attending boarding school with miss meg caswell.  we shared an occasional illegal bevvy in the woods, as well as many laughs.  and NOW i get to see her on TV every monday night. 

check out these before and after pics from the bed & breakfast challenge last week.  meg nailed it! so much so that my beloved vern yip said it was his fave room he's seen in 6 seasons of the show.  you go girl!

before {yuck}





and voila!








i was thrilled when meg hired me to help with a baby shower she was hostessing.
with the help of jayme marie designs, we created a special soiree, bursting with with flair and personality {like meg and guest of honor, ashley!}  
it was too much fun and i can't wait to share the deets.  {hint, hint, meg.  we know you're busy getting famous and all but can we get those pics?}

here's a sneak peek of the menus jayme created for the bright and lively 'bun in the oven' themed shower.  


hmmm. . .what else have i been up to besides blogging?
unfortch, last weekend we attended a funeral.  debbie downer alert!  i consider myself lucky that these are few and far between in my life, but difficult none the less.  my neighbor growing up passed away.  he had been suffering for a long time so his passing was bittersweet.   i love his family as i love my own so that part is tough but they are strong amazing peeps. 
wompwomp.

on a positive note - i got to show c & p the teeny tiny town where i was lucky enough to grow up.  it hasn't changed much, which is what makes it so charming.  and my appreciation for it now far exceeds when i was a child.  isn't that always the way? 


 anyhoot, we stayed at our dear family friends who own one of my fave properties on the planet.  if anyone wants to buy it - it's for sale.  here's some pics i stole off the sotheby's site.  

{i don't really want you to buy it though because i totes need to visit it forevah.  CBC, any extra carsh laying around?}





and here's some i took of c & p romping around the "yard" last weekend.





my go-to descriptive words "adorbs", "amazebalz", and "wor-ship" only begin to describe my adoration for this home, where owners "s & l" have a knack for making me feel at home.  
simply put: they are. . . the. best.
might i add these are the same peeps that lent us our wedding getaway car.  the t-bird!


image by corinna raznikov

thank you "s& l" for everything.
and for raising one of the sweetest gals i know, fellow blogger miss kate of the thrill of the chaise. {damn! why didn't i think of that?!}
 i like to believe all of the hours i logged babysitting kate contributed to her fab wit and style.

my lil ladies saw some big glorious trees and witnessed a place where there's as many horses on the road as cars {and it's not because their amish}. 

here's the farm where i clinched a few blue ribbons.  then i discovered boys and TV.
i digress. . . 

we also stopped at the village store on our way out of town to load up on some munchies and nostalgia for the trip home.


it had plenty of both.

i miss you bri-wa.  
never change!

more ruffles - love-love or not so much?

this time a slightly more sophisticated use of the ruffle.  i wonder if ralph was inspired by rufflebutts?
seriously tho, i'm pretty smitten by this gown, and i wor-ship the fact that it was a gift from father to daughter.  {ralph lauren for daughter dylan} 


amazebalz.

pick up the august issue of vogue for the deets.  

and while we are at it let's just take a peek at dylan's candy-themed bridal shower planned by martha's right hand, darcy miller.  
it is. . . OOC.




caviar "rings".  obvs.




i die.


edible necklace.  forreals.

please please do yourself a favor and drool over more swoontastic images of this adorbs shower at martha stewart.



anyhoot, do you love-love the dress or not so much?

rufflebutts

adorbs!




girlie newborn gifts are on the mind {ahum, june}
and rufflebutts, is on zulily today.

they also come in toddler sizes.  but i prob should not draw attention to the fact that my girlies are still in diapers . . . or do i take advantage of their last summer where it's totes appropes to be carelessly sashaying around topless {while cr*pping their pants}?

hmmmmm. . . 
they do come in pink AND yellow.

if you don't know about zulily yet join here.

yes, capiz. . .


so i'm not an over-the-top "nautical theme" gal.  i think it's awesome if you live on the water, otherwise it sort of bugs me.  {or perhaps i'm just salty that i don't live on the water?}
i do live in a costal town, however, so i do feel entitled to a few seaside treasures in my home.

i like shells.  i think they are pretty and delicate and girly.  which i love.  {obvs}

i wallpapered nursery #1 {long story} with this thibaut stripe.
if i had to describe the color it would most definitely be "shell."




i also love-loved that my girls were old enough to collect shells at the beach this year on vacay.  and hey, can't beat a free souveneir with sentimental meaning.

i adore this idea from- guess who?- martha.




the candles aren't so appropes for the nursery, but i do have the west elm capiz shell chandelier in there.


i thought this was somewhat of an original idea at the time i decorated but now they seem to be available everywhere.  i actually sort of like the colored ones at pb teen.



and love-loving these venus pendant lamps at layla grace.
combining shells and flowers!  swoon.




oh and hello again pb teen!
i think we'll be seeing you, rose shell pendant in our big girl room!



and while i'm getting carried away. . .
i wouldn't mind this number in my home on the water, that is.


i guess this beauty casts quite the glow to passersby.  read about it in coastal living.

image via the diversion project
also good to know this bad boy is versatile and will work in my farmhouse someday, too.

image via better homes & gardens

image via pinterest
image via pinterest



swoon.
so yes, capiz i think is a great way to add a touch of the seaside motif in your home without overdoing it, no matter where your home might be.  i mean who doesn't love the sea, right?


love this etsy shoppe located right here in boston, near me!  and the sea.  
hope you all are logging some serious seashell collecting hours this summer.