Kitchen Conundrum

Decorating can be so difficult... my taste is quite fickle and I continue to find new looks that I think would be perfect for our kitchen and can't seem to narrow them down.  Previously, I blogged about some rustic black chairs I was obsessed with and thought for sure I needed; however, now I am quite smitten with the Louis Ghost Chairs.  I want them.  I need them.  Now I just need to convince my husband they belong with us.  I think this kitchen is amazing and I want to replicate it.  I know I've seen these ghost chairs on about every blog but now that I'm trying to actually find pictures of kitchens I've loved, I can't seem to find them.  Any help (links) would be mucho appreciated! :)

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Be Still My Heart

Some men just have the look.  All they have to do is sit there, say nothing and that's enough.  Men like George Clooney and Brad Pitt fall into this category.  The bonus with those men is that they're great actors so it only adds to their allure.  Others though have to work a bit harder, being funny or damn good actors.  Men that make you laugh and make you cry.  Some are just downright awkward but that's part of why you love them.  They have an unsuspecting sexiness that catches you off guard.  They're the men I always thank the casting director for taking a chance on them, the not obviously hot guy.  Now of course, they all look quite sexy in these pictures but it's the quality of their work that makes us think of them in this way now.  I'm taking today to highlight those men that have captured our hearts unexpectedly, the best way.

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Jason Segel

How I Met Your Mother 

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Kevin McKidd

Grey's Anatomy

 

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Josh Hopkins

Cougar Town

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Christopher Meloni

Law & Order: SVU

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Corey Monteith

Glee

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Charlie Hunnam

Sons of Anarchy

Who else if on your "unexpectedly hot" list??

Blog Du Jour: Maple and Shade

Happy Monday!  You are guaranteed to start your day on the right foot with this week's Blog Du Jour.  I chose Hannah partially because Maple and Shade is one of the first blogs I began reading on a regular basis and also because I consistently fall in love with the beautiful images she chooses to share.  You can tell she writes from the heart which is quite endearing and really the type of blog I most lean toward.  As always, if you enjoy learning more about the bloggers you heart, please follow and leave a comment--it really makes my day and the other follows not feel so lonely.  You will definitely begin to envy Hannah's lifestyle and travels after reading so get ready to learn more about the girl behind Maple and Shade.

Who: Hannah Maple
What: Maple and Shade and The Maple Studio
Where: Charleston, SC

What made you start blogging?

Well, I love to write.  It was always my favorite part about school. And, after college, I really never had a reason to write anymore-- until the blogging world came about.  It's the perfect way for me to get my creative fix: I get to write about anything and everything, and create graphic designs, and document all of the things I'm perpetually inspired by.

How did you come across the name of your blog?

Hmm...well, on my honeymoon actually.  The Mr. and I were laying in a shady hammock talking about future business names, as I've always felt a strong pull toward doing my own venture.  Maple is such a fun last name to have, so we were playing around with it--Maple obviously lead to tree, and we were laying under a shady beach tree, so that all gave way to Maple and Shade.

If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be?  

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Just one?!  My gosh, there'd be so many.  Someone with a fabulous life revolving around travel and art. The Sartorialist, possibly?  I'm enamored with his street fashion photos, and all the cultural meccas he's constantly jet-setting to.  Just imagine all the swoon-worthy, curbside cafes he's able to sit in...sipping amazing, locally roasted espresso in an eclectic, Euro environment.  And then he gets to gawk at beautiful, fashionably-dressed strangers and publish books about them.  Yes--I pick him.

What is the last thing you ate?

 

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Ha, well...actually, I'm eating an apple with almond butter as I type. I'm kind of always eating something.  But that's by far my favorite snack.

What is something most people don't know about you?

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My middle name is Scott. I know...not too exciting. I don't have a lot of secrets...

What is your favorite vacation spot?

 

I don't really have one particular spot.  The world is so vast with so much to see--I'd much rather choose a new locale every time we travel and experience a new land and way of life. 

What 5 people would be in your circle for spin the bottle?

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My husband, for sure. Okay yes, I know--but really, he's that handsome and wonderful. And then I'd have to say Jude Law, David Beckham, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Jim from the office (so cute and funny). But I'd be hoping it would only land on the Mr.

What is your "must have today" (your current obsession)?

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Oh, where do I even begin: Alexander Wang's Rocco bag, and Dolce Vita's grey suede platform pumps. Oh, and this vintage, long sleeve scallop dress I'm watching on ebay. I'll be pretty sad if she's not mine.

What is the Tiny Bit of Sparkle in your life? (person, thing, anything)

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My home--which consists of this teenie, one-bedroom apartment in downtown Charleston. But it's so filled with light and happiness, and is so comforting to me. It's where I cook (which I love!) read, blog, spend time with God, photograph, and host wine nights with friends. Best of all--my husband and dog are there. It's pretty much perfect.

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FRIDAYS!

Wow, what a week!  This week has been full of ups and downs and I'm so glad to have made it to Friday.  I've learned a little more about Twitter (getting better at it, slowly but surely), finished up another amazing Blog Du Jour piece (be sure to check back in Monday!) and got myself back into a hardcore workout routine (aka Body Pump).  Hope you all have had a great weekend and have an even more fantastic weekend!  Try to enjoy a hot (or most likely, cold) toddy if you can...

xoxo,
sarah

Tiny Bit of Sparkle

I just realized I've been quite remiss in sharing a Tiny Bit of Sparkle with you each week.  To think, the very basis of this blog has been absent for weeks and weeks!  Please accept my great apologies and just enjoy this skirt-o-sequins, courtesy of J Crew...

{J Crew}

Mi Casa Su Casa: Buffet

I thought it was about time I started sharing our adventures in furnishing and decorating our home.  Please bear with me--it's taking us quite a while because I seem to have very, very expensive taste!  So, we're getting a piece here and a piece there, and eventually it will all come together--or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

This first piece was actually an AMAZING find from Homegoods!  I rarely find really nice large furniture there (much less for $800!) but I lucked out with this beautiful oriental buffet.  It's the perfect size to house both our wedding china and the antique china from my Grandmother.  In person, you really can't see the china as clearly as you can in this picture--it's a lot more muted.

I know that wall is screaming for some artwork and maybe two chairs on each side but trust me, we're getting there!  Hope you all have enjoyed this little glimpse into my work in progress home!


What was your best Homegoods or discount find??

Midwestern Monologues: Tory Burch

 

{Brian Kvidera}

So I’ve been eyeing these suckas for a while.  Oh, those Tory Burch Revas…. I haven’t been able to justify the cost of new shoes that were not for work, so I called my oh-so-lovely friend (a.k.a Sarah) and posed the question, “Do you think Tory Burch Revas are worth the purchase?”  Her response, “Uh, I’m like their spoke-person.”  So what did I do? Purchased them that night.  Were they worth the purchase?  Uh, hell ya! My feet.  My Revas!  Feet up in St. Louis!

Hi, I'm Cindy.  I live in Kansas City and date often (eh..)  regularlysometimes (shit). I date. I dated a guy once that lived in the Northeast. He described Kansas City as utterly Midwestern. His description of the women here? Farm fresh and corn fed. I hate to admit it, but that sums me up in 4 words and an ampersand. Yes, yes, I am a personality girl whose verbosity and crazy antics sometimes gets the best of her. Yet, it always makes for a damn good time. (well…)  

love, love,

cin

Go Bold or Go Home

I wish I was bold enough to go red, blue, or orange with one of my rooms but I'm one of those people with major color commitment issues.  To be honest with you, my watch is silver and gold, my purse is grey and I often buy shoes I like in brown and black... I tend to stay pretty neutral but I'm really trying to make myself branch out.  Unfortunately, I started decorating my home when my taste was a lot more vanilla than it is now after perusing hundreds of beautiful blogs each day that make me want to take a chance with color...

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Quote Unquote

You see, I've never really been "a quote person" (get it, quote, a quote person, unquote, please excuse my bad puns) until last night.  My husband had a really bad day and I just really wanted to let him know that I'm always here for him.  My way of doing this is writing him a note and leaving it in his car for him the to find the next morning.  This time though, I felt I needed more than more words.  I wanted him to have something to hold onto and pull out and look at and feel better.  This is what I came up with... hope you enjoy as much as I did :)

Sorry--I couldn't get a larger version of this first one so please click on the link below it to read the full version... definitely worth clicking.. it's the best one!

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Let There be Light

I've been doing a lot of thinking about lighting lately.  Mainly because I'm not very happy with our current lighting fixtures.  Dreaming of...

 

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La Dolce Vita Giveaway

La Dolce Vita is hosting an ah-mazing giveaway from FLOR... I'm hoping to win this...

Visit La Dolce Vita for your chance to win!

Blog Du Jour: The Zhush

 

Who: Susan

What: The Zhush

Where: Poundridge, NY

What made you start blogging?

After my husband and I started a major renovation of our home and then purchased a "fixer upper" ski condo, I found myself turning to the "blogosphere" more and more for inspiration.  Blogging appealed to me on so many levels, but mostly it just looked like a lot of fun!


How did you come across the name of your blog?
 

The name of my blog is just a funny word that my friends and I use whenever we are talking about primping or fixing things up.  It was actually very impulsive...other choices in my mind were "the frou-frou-la!" basically I just wanted something very lighthearted and fun, which is what I hope my blog conveys.


If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be?  

I would love to trade places with my children for a day, in a "Freaky Friday" kind of way.  Not only would I get to see how I am as a parent from their perspective, but I could find out what they are doing all day at school!

What is the last thing you ate?

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A  snack sized Almond Joy! (the Halloween candy is already in the supermarkets! eeek!)

What is something most people don't know about you?

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I can wiggle my ears!

What is your favorite vacation spot?

I love the beach, any beach really...right now I would say Palm Beach!

What 5 people would be in your circle for spin the bottle?

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hmmm, my 14 year wedding anniversary is coming up this month...let's move along to number 8!

What is your "must have today" (your current obsession)?

 Currently I am obsessed with chunky gold jewelry with an edge and Platner side tables!

What is the Tiny Bit of Sparkle in your life? (person, thing, anything)

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The tiny bit of sparkle in my life would have to be my family and my home...(that's a big huge sparkle for me !)

***Thanks so much for having me over here today!