Heart Warming

Just about every part of me is ready for winter to wrap up and for spring to come — except for my appetite! Yes, spring veggies are bright and delicious, but I'm just not ready to say goodbye to hearty soups, stews and casseroles. So I've made it my goal to make a rich and comforting cassoulet (which is a French slow-cooked stew) over the weekend. So many recipes call for expensive, hard-to-find meats, so I've chosen this simple wine, bean, sausage and ham cassoulet, which I think will be the perfect medley of salty ham, velvety beans, rich wine and herbs. Fingers crossed!

 

Photo credit: blogformen.wordpress.com

Ring Around The...

Statement rings have become front and center in the fashion world, and while we've found our share of big, beautiful bands, these fun pieces from Old Gold Boutique definitely take the cake. We are going gaga over the unique finger charms, to the point where our credit cards are kind of crying from the over-use! Whoopsie... but worth it!

Ze-breathtaking

Feeling a little wild? Zebra print is the perfect addition to any room, as it gives a subtle savage vibe without taking away from any elegance. And the wonderful thing about the zany print is that though it may appear overly bizarre and hard to match, the black and white strips make it a neutral, meaning it can fit into any and every color scheme you've already established in your home! Easy peasy decorating; done!

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: design-ties.blogspot.com, roost-home.blogspot.com, beaulifestyle.blogspot.com, decorpad.com, design-ties.blogspot.com, design-ties.blogspot.com

Happy Hangover

I think that often times, we dream so big, we forget that simple things around us can be just as spectacular as the over-the-top images we conjure up in our imaginations. Hangers, for instance. Who would have thought that something as mundane and everyday could be so gorgeous, if only chosen with the same amount of care as say, the lovely blouse you chose to wear to work today? But seeing is believing, and we're hoping to apply this way of thinking to other quotidian items we see on a regular basis. But we're starting here, with these Jeanne d' Arc Decor coat hangers. A little touch of romance in an unusual, unexpected spot. Smiles.

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: frenchcharmed.com, worldofvieta.tumblr.com, worldofvieta.tumblr.com, etsy.com, upthewoodenhills.blogspot.com

Circus Circus

Ever since I was a kid, I've been so fascinated by the circus. I couldn't ride elephants or fly through the air on a trapeze, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I donned a ringleader hat and tried training my childhood cat to jump through a hula hoop! She never really got the idea, but I'm pretty sure that if I'd tried oh, a couple hundred more times, she might have finally succeeded. Guess I'll never know... Anyway, I was tickled pink when I came across this wonderful circus tent, and I couldn't resist posting a few more circus-inspired photos to go along with it. After all, isn't it come one, come all?!

 

Photo credits from top to bottom:naebyrd.blogspot.com, weheartit.com, flickr.com, etsy.com, etsy.com, bonbonatelier.blogspot.com, weplayallday.tumblr.com, jesspurr.typepad.com

Edge Of Seventeen

I really thought that the 70s-chic look of 2011 would be a come-and-go trend, but it seems to be popping up all over the spring runways yet again — and I'm not so sure how I feel about it! On the one hand, it reminds me of my teenage years when I'd wear my hair straight and long with large sunglasses, a turtleneck and bell bottoms. On the other hand, it reminds me of my teenage years when I'd wear my hair straight and long with large sunglasses, a turtleneck and bell bottoms! I'm torn on re-living those days. What do you guys think of the trend? Is it something you've embraced? Or are you ready for the entire flashback of the disco era to end already?

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: lalaluxsalon.com, weheartit.com, angelinainlove.blogspot.com, law-of-fashion.com, thederniercri.blogspot.com, luphia.blogspot.com

Think Pink

I've been a mature woman for what seems like eons, but as many of you have probably experienced, my inner five-year-old comes out every time I see anything pink and sparkly. If it's twinkling and in a blush hue, I'm immediately  struck with the urge to twirl around like a giddy ballerina. And if you're anything like me, you've definitely stopped reading this and are swiveling 'round and 'round in your computer chair at this very moment... am I right?

 

Photo credits from top to bottom: kari-michelle.tumblr.com, loboheme.com, blushink.com, blushink.com, never-unpolished.com, joyfolieblog.com, vi.sualize.us, elizabethannedesigns.com