Under $30 Finds, Yo

Hello~  I missed you guys yesterday! Hope you had a great weekend!  I can tell you that I had a really fun weekend that included playing beer pong, flip the cup, and singing along to Whitney Houston's 'I wanna Dance With Somebody' with a bunch of 20 something college grads. Yes, this begs for more details, right?  Tomorrow.   

And I also found these best deals evah! AND ALL UNDER $30,YO!

  Love Sweater; Heart Sweater; Stripey T; Bag; Earrings; Wedge

The tops are all from Old Navy and I got all three of them for a total of $20.  They were each $8-$11 with 30% off for card holders (I have a Banana Republic Card that works at Old Navy too). And these are even cuter in person! The funny thing is I was there to pick out some things for my nephew but didn't find anything for him, but obviously, walked away still happy. Btw, do you find it hard to buy cute clothes for boys?  Vs. Little girls' clothes which are just way too cute and there's so much of them!!

The other goodies were random finds over the weekend with the exception of the wedge sandal. I spotted them on one of my co-workers. She told me she got them on sale for $11 at Target. Seriously, why do I never find these kind of deals at Target??  These goodies are all in my wish bucket for now. 

Well, this is the last week of April/first week of May.  Unbelievable, right? Oh, btw, Randy and I firmed up our summer vacation plan last night.  It'll be in late June. CANNOT.WAIT....   

Happy Tuesday, a day that always feels really random to me...

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF!!! This week felt like it was Monday every day. So, you can imagine how HAPPY I am that Friday is actually here, finally.  I don't have much planned but I do want to re-focus on my health big time, because I've been a pretty bad girl the last couple of days with my eating.  There's been a good amount of white flour, sugar, vino, but zero green smoothies.  And my body can feel it.  

Here are some things on my mind for this weekend...

Pure Vegan - Yes, I'd love to be one!

 Summer Berry Salad

This ought to be interesting - for all tourists.

I seriously can't say enough how much I love every inch of Rita Konig's home in Manhattan.

And yes, I've become one of those dog people. I can't help it. I LOVE my pups.

When Feeling Blue...

... go find yourself a pair of blue suede shoes! I did and felt so much better!

You see, last weekend, I was feeling a bit blue over some nagging thoughts, worries, etc. (Like, where will I be in 5 years?  Will I have kids?  Will I be happy?  Will I still be living where I am now? etc. etc.)  We all have those moments, right?! All I wanted to do was stay in and sulk. I finally managed to get dressed and walk out of the house.  I did not manage to take a shower or put on make-up (whatever, it's the weekend).  I had a laundry list of to-do's.  First stop - I hit the mall to get a wooden frame from Pottery Barn so that I can frame the Aspen print I got Randy last week. As I was walking out of Pottery Barn, I saw Madewell and thought, I'll walk in just to see (yeah, right).  And 15 minutes later, I walked out with the above pair of blue suede shoes at a pretty ridic price ($38 less 20% off). I also got this bird print dress for less than $50 (unlike the price online).  

Yes, I know that shopping when feeling low can be dangerous.  But sometimes, we can all use a little pick-me-up, whether it be a pair of blue suede shoes, your favorite latte from Starbucks, some fresh flowers from Wholefoods, whatever. Small happy moments can go a long way, folks!  

Last thought - it's Wednesday.  We are half way there!!!  

Zara - You Crush Me

Have you been on Zara's website lately?  I mean seriously, Zara is totally crushing me.  I checked it out last night to see if they had any last minute sale on winter stuff.  Well, lo and behold, they had a whole slew of spring stuff (no winter sale, btw) and I was off Pinteresting like crazy.  And how cute is this model with her short hair?  I wish I had the guts to cut it that short again. Anyways, there were so many items I wanted but these are my absolute favorites.  No purchase was made but you bet I won't be missing their spring sale!

a//  b//  c//  d//  e

i//  ii//  iii//  iv  

Oh, Zara, you crush me... absolutely crush me... 

Monday E-Design: My Work Office

Happy Monday, friends! We are already more than half way through April. Can you believe it?!  Before we know it, we'll be partying through the Memorial Day weekend. (Yup, this is how I get through this long stretch of no-holiday months post New Year's).  

So, I mentioned a week or so ago about moving into a new office space.  Unlike 6 years ago when I first started at my current job (family lawyer at a relatively small firm), my sense of design and taste is much more defined and reflective of who I am. So, with this new move, I am super excited to spruce up my space so that it looks more like me.  Does that make sense?! 

I want my office to feel bright, which it already is due to plenty of windows and lots of natural light coming in, with splashes of bright blues and light grays to balance the brightness.  (I'm obsessed with blue these days).  I also want some live plants but may just default to a faux one since plants and I don't really get along.  Here are some things I want for my office (some items, I already have, which is a good start!).  

Philly Cityscape; Hanging Bird Mirror (have); Gold Dipped Bowl (have); Faux lavender; Rhino (have); Display Ledge (have).  

Keep Calm(have); Photo Frame; Monogrammed Mug(have); Cork Board  (have a much better priced one from Homegoods); Tray.

And somewhere among these, I will have my diplomas and other law stuff that are nicely framed thanks to my in-laws (one of their super duper gifts to us when we moved back to PA from NJ).  

So, there you have it.  Hopefully, I'll have a nice looking office within a week or two.  And then move onto another project.  

How about you?  Any design projects in the plans?  

TGIF - One More Note

As a p.s. to my TGIF note, here's a song I can't stop listening to lately. 

It's like totally sexy, no?
Enjoy~

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF! This week was a tough one!  I was totally wigging out with too much work in the beginning of the week, and kinda burn out by yesterday, and become totally unproductive. 

Earlier this week, my colleagues and I ventured out to a new lunch place near our work.  It's a vietnamese bistro.  There, I tried my first banh mi (which is, btw, the bistro's name!), a very simple vietnamese sandwich with pickled radishes and cilantro (add avo too and it's excellent). It's such a tasty nosh that really hits all the right spots with its crunchy, sour, sweet, ingredients jammed inside a french baguette.  I can totally see this being made for a lunch get together or even a game or sports night.    

see here

In addition to banh me, I also discovered and fell madly and deeply in love this week... with this chair.  

And I finally got my little fortune cookie (25% off and now it's sold out on shopbop!) this week. 

And this beauty on a major price cut due to a minor fold on the corner, which should be covered by the frame per the seller. Hopefully, I won't regret the purchase. (Haha - forgive me for the lame pun intended!)

My latest can't-stop-reading blogs:  exquisite banana, the daily muse blog, the selby.  These blogs actually make me want to go running on the treadmill so that I can devour over all of their old pages.  

Not much planned for this weekend for me.  And you know what, that will be just fine! I can use it to catch up on some reading, running, and folding the darn laundry (but while watching some brain numbing tv shows or movies).  Hope you guys have a fun-filled and relaxing weekend~~  

Keeping It Light In Dark Colors

Hi peeps, I'm back! My day time job has been a little busy, so I stepped away from here for the last 2 days :) And within the last two days, of course, we've all been shocked and left speechless by what happened in Boston...  We are all grieving as a nation and we'll do whatever it takes to move on as bravely and with much faith and hope as we have in the past.  
******* 

With the warmer days here, a girl like me who's typically covered in various shades of greys, blacks, dark navies, may get a little lost.  BUT no worries. We can still wear our favorite darks but just keep them light.  Huh?  Here's what I mean. 

   shoe// skirt// jacket// tote

How about it?  We still keep the dark tones, but in light materials with pops of color.  LOVE IT ALL. All on sale at Shopbop, btw (ok, but still too pricey for me!). 

Alright, one more day 'til my favorite day. Yay!!! 

Monday E-Design: Lucite Madness

Good Monday~ Hope you had a great weekend!  I saw a lot of outdoor activities and pretty spring photos on Instagram, so I think it's safe to say that spring is here and we are embracing it!  

I had a pretty busy weekend as Randy and I visited his father, Ray in Allentown and stayed there overnight. Ray has a ginormous St. Bernard named Bud. OMG - he is SO big now.  Our two little Westies and Bud always play really hard and watching them is like watching a cartoon or something unreal.  

On Sunday, I spent the better part  of the day cleaning up my old office as I am moving into a new office at work.  I'm so excited because I'll now have lots of sun coming and a nice big blank wall to decorate.  I have ideas and ideas on how I want to decorate the new office...  Hopefully, it'll turn out cool and I'll show off the final look to you guys. 

I also have so many ideas running through my head on how to re-do our living room.  We have a very limited space and right now, our big coffee table is seriously taking up too much space, both physically and visually.  So, I'm looking into selling it on Craigslist and getting a clear acrylic/lucite table.  Here are some repins from Pinterest for inspiration.  

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

So, the question becomes, where can I get one for a reasonable price?

Here's one from CB2 for less than $300.  It's hard to justify a purchase like this when the furniture seriously looks like clear plastic (oh, maybe it actually is...). It also depends on whether and when I can sell the current coffee table at my home. Well, you'll know about it when it happens!!

Hope you have a great week~~

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF!!! It's been a crazy busy week for me at work, which means a pile of unwashed dishes, an unmade bed, and wet hair to work every morning. Not pretty.  But what's pretty are these photos that make me happy :) 

grilled kale salad with beets, figs, and ricotta

french bull pups and a baby

and we have skunks on a skirt - still cute

aspen, colorado

I cannot wait to make the grilled kale salad~~  And I will likely purchase the Aspen print.  It was supposed to be a surprise for Randy but I can't keep surprises, obviously!!  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend~~

Small Happy Moments

Small happy moments from last weekend...

Randy in the driver's seat (ignoring me as I insta his handsome profile :); My older pup, Toby also ignoring me as I capture his cuteness; and the majestic baseball field at Citizen's Park -  watching my first baseball game of this year (go Phillies~~). 

One of the few healthy noshes I cooked up over the weekend:  quinoa, arugula, strawberries, red onion, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  SIMPLE yet SOOOO good. 

A tiny tiny vase with faux plant (?) inside from Home Goods.  I think I should've bought it, especially since I just found out that I will have a new office with windows at work.  Perhaps that'll help elevate my rather low vitamin D level!

This beauty of less than $9.00 did come home with me. She's a steal, right?  I liked it so much I went back to HG and bought 2 more in a slightly bigger size. (One for me, another for a friend who likes this kinda stuff). 
  
Gotta love savoring these small happy moments~~

Sprummer Accessories

So apparently, we skipped spring and jumped into summer. Today's weather forecast here in Philly:  80 warm degrees. Huh... 

Just a couple of things I'd love to see in my closet this sprummer (get it?  spring + summer? hehe :)).

tote// stackable rings// necklace// watch// sunglasses

Monday E-Design: One Chair

Good Monday, friends~  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. 
The weather seriously was amazing. Do I dare say Spring is finally here to stay? Let's cross our fingers! Btw, if you are curious how I spent mine, check out my Instagram.   

Remember last week I talked about my latest obsession with anything blue?  See here.  It continues.  I can't get enough of Jonathan Adler's collection for JC Penney.  I'm loving the rich velvet blue seating collection matched with JA's danish pieces. 
The blue chair below inspired me to come up with a little seating area that exudes sophistication and youthful modernity. (At least, I would like to think so :) 

Je ne non regrette rien print; Blue Tufted Chair; Sequined Pillow (this is SO maj!); Perpetual Calendar (bear); Throw; Sconce

Hope you have a wonderful, energetic start to this week!  

TGIF/W - Whatcha Up To?

TGIW!!! Sorry for this late post.  My wifi decided to act out big time this morning.  UGH, right?! 

So, it's here, the weekend~  We are expecting warm weather tomorrow/Saturday, which is perfect because Randy and I are going to a Phillies game tomorrow. (Last minute free tickets through Randy's work!) I'm not a huge baseball person but I do like watching the game in person. I mainly look forward to eating ice cream out of a mini baseball helmut, followed by cotton candy, soft pretzels, french fries with lots and lots of ketchup, etc. etc.

Here are some lovely images I recently came across that made me happy.

'Tis the wedding season. Peonies were my wedding flowers.

So madly truly romantic, are't they?  (image via here)

I know spring is barely here.  But my heart is already rushing to summer and dreaming of diving into a pool as gorgeous as this one. (image via here)

I love a modern and fun gallery wall. Check out this entire house make-over by Emily Henderson. (She's seriously so hip and cool~~)

This is a nice way to start your Friday night, no?

(Oh Joy always gets it right!)

Hope you have a wonderful, fun-filled, relaxing weekend!

Thursday Blah

Yes, I feel a bit uninspired and have very little to say today. But I have so much on my mind. Oh you know, things.  Work, family, health, money, etc. etc. Hopefully, I'll feel a bit more cheery and interesting tomorrow.  

image via Pinterest

Feeling the Blues...

No, not as in sad, but lately, I've been really craving rich blue toned anything and everything. It started when I spotted the Jonathan Adler ottoman below.  I mean, is that a beauty or what?!!  And this pair of blue suede pumps from Madewell and Rothko like scarf from Club Monaco?  These are totally maj!! 

On a more serious note, yesterday was the World Autism Awareness Day, and in recognition of this day, the Empire State building was lit up in blue (WAAD color).  Wouldn't it be cool if the retailers would hold shopping events selling all things blue at reduced prices? Kinda like what they do with awareness months/days for breast cancer, AIDS, etc.? Just a thought...with the hope that it happens (or it is already happening).    

a// b// c// d// e// f//

Last Weekend...

was so awesome...  the weather finally decided to cooperate and brought us some bright rays!  Here's a little recap of my Easter weekend.  And yes, it was too dang short...  

Monday E-Design: Danish Anyone?

Good Monday~~  It's a new week and a new month.  We are entering into the 2nd quarter of this year.  Wild, isn't it? 
Hope you all had a nice weekend.  The weather here in the suburbs of PA was divine this Saturday.  And we definitely took advantage of it by going on a long walk with our puppies.  They live for this kinda stuff, you know?! 

So, my latest design obsession is danish furniture.  As you saw on the Friday entry, a nice solid danish console or a table in a room really sets a tone of sophistication. Currently, I'm eyeing lusting after the following two. 

The top one is from West Elm and the bottom from JC Penney.  Yup, you heard me right, JC Penney.  Jonathan Adler's "Happy Chic" pieces at JC Penney are AMAZING.  Yes, a little high in price but a console like the one above, it's a pretty decent price ($800).

I am totally inspired to come up with a design board, using either of the above consoles (totally having a hard time which one I'd want...) Which one do you like better?

Hope you have a great rest of the week!