Excellence is not an act, but a habit

Craigslist Finds of the Week

Rams Head brass bucket for $25

Robert Abbey desk lamp for a steal

Gorgeous bachelors chest for $285

This looks a wee bit victorian, but I think with an updated paint color (emerald green?) or fresh coat of glossy black and switching out the mirror with some cool wall paper (ie: the tortoise like Bailey McCarthy used in her bar area) this could be a really cool piece that would serve a variety of purposes.

Paint these and push them together for a new coffee table!

Okay I’m obsessed with this piece. Granted you’d need a HUGE space for this, but the goat skin + color is TO DIE. $180

Happy birthday Loafers: A brunch celebration

Today is Loafers’ birthday—and what a birthday celebration we had yesterday! After several weeks of planning, agonizing over things like flatware and several grocery store trips, yesterday was the day of the birthday brunch. 

So many fun people squeezed into our teeny townhouse. Not pictured: our patio, which was the happenin’ party spot.

Updated entry vignette with some fresh magnolia cuttings and hyacinth- my new favorite flower—a fresh, lovely scent hits you right when you walk in the door!

The food served at the brunch was a combination of pre-made items (Costco egg white quiches were a lifesaver…as were the freshly baked Bojangles biscuits) and a breakfast casserole courtesy of Everyday Italian star Giada DeLaurentis accompanied by carrot cake muffins with a spicy glaze for the birthday boy (carrot cake is his fave, second to coconut and I wasn’t prepared to delve into that.) 

Breakfast casserole recipe

Carrot cake muffin recipe

Thanks to all of our lovely friends who came out to celebrate John! 

Waiting on Martha

My latest obsession is the blog, Waiting on Martha and her related shop, Shop Waiting on Martha. 

Waiting on Martha’s founder and curator, Mandy Kellogg Rye, lives by one mantra, “Life should be lived beautifully every single day.” Drawn to the “finer things” at an early age, her mother taught her how to appreciate beauty while her father taught her how to create beauty. 

Mandy has some beautiful and fine things available on her website, and I enjoy reading her blog every morning. Check out some of the goodies she has her in store:

 

New rug!

If you told me two years ago that getting a new rug would bring me joy and excitement, I’d probably roll my eyes at you while I pawed through a pile of sequins and shift dresses. But alas, life changes and so do we. 

So, the rug. It was inspired by this post by Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook. 

I was hesitant to order a rug sight unseen, but the price was ridiculously cheap so I thought I would give it a go. And then started doubting myself as the days turned into weeks before the rug arrived. You can see it here on the Rugs USA website- doesn’t look too impressive. 

I should have trusted Jenny (who was the first person who turned me on to Gray Line Linen a year and a half ago.) 

The rug arrived yesterday and I’m very pleased. It’s super soft and adds a neutral, elegant touch to our living room. It’s not antique, but it looks kind of like it and for $144 vs. the antique rugs that run in the THOUSANDS of dollars, I’ll take it. Check it out:

Small victories for Wednesday. A few notes on Rugs USA:

-They have excellent customer service online (believe me, I used it…)

-Your rug won’t arrive for 8-10 business days and you get a shipping confirmation tracking number on the day that your rug actually arrives. Which is…kind of unnecessary.

-Rugs USA runs great deals all the time. Just be prepared that while shipping is free to get the rug to you, if you do decide to return it, you will have to pay shipping (which can run from $50-$100+)

Shawlsmith London

I found out about these scarves through one of my favorite daily reads, Look Linger Love. Warmer weather in the South is accompanied by cooler temperatures indoors with A/C, making layers a requirement. I always have a scarf or cardigan in my bag, and I would love to add a piece from Shawlsmith London to my collection. For less than $100, they make a stylish and budget-friendly statement. Check them out here—(click photo for link):

(My fave)

TRX for dummies

If I were to brainstorm a potential memoir title, it would probably go something like this:

As such, I like to balance said “seriousness about meals” with a fairly rigorous workout schedule. Yesterday, I made the mistake of doing  bootcamp in the morning followed by a new TRX class in the evening. Big. Mistake.

Have you ever done TRX? My muscles LITERALLY burned off and I dumped what appeared to be a gallon of sweat on the floor beneath me while I scream whispered the worst swear words I could muster amidst the blinding pain.  Wearing heels was a terrible idea today. I JUST CAN’T.

Excellent: Teil Duncan Art

The other day, I found out about artist Teil Duncan through one of my favorite blogs, Elements of Style. Teil’s paintings are gorgeous and filled with beautiful colors. Here are my two favorites:

You can view more of Teil’s work on her website or her Tumblr. 

Bamboo flatware

I’m in the midst of planning a semi-massive brunch for my husband’s birthday…

Amidst the panic and table setting brainstorms, I stumbled across a gorgeous set of bamboo flatware from Neiman Marcus for a mere $35

This flatware can translate from easy to elegant. It’s especially a steal when you compare it to Juliska’s bamboo flatware set for $150 a place setting (LOL..no)

Thought I’d share this fun find with all of you!