Holidays Past

Well my friends, happy 2013. Can you believe she has come so soon? I cherish the holidays so much- it's amazing to me how fleeting they are each recurring year. Below are a few little snap shots of Stay tuned for snapshots of pretty Christmas tables a little later on!

A cute Mariachi Santa

The General Store, a tried and true favorite to hang every year

Veuve Cliquot and some purple velvet Tory Burch heels

Our painted sardines: an oldie but goodie

A favorite ornament of mine when I was little....

Little mittens that belonged to my older sister...

May your days continue to be merry and bright xx

What A Wonderful World.

St Basils Cathedral in Moscow

Hi there. Just a few little snapshots today of things I'm loving this week... from trips past to simple beauty in nature, I think ol' Louis said it best. 

High Shine in Russia

A lone thistle in the hill country. The bloom was so vibrant against the winter-burned ground

Escargot for a very special Thanksgiving dinner with extended family

Meyer Lemons on my Momma's tree

Happy little eggs 

A great reminder to find the funny in life.

Reliving a fun photo shoot I "modeled" for a photographer friend of mine. The Stella. 

A special dress at a special moment in my life.

Have a lovely week my dears! xx

Smile.

Since graduating from college and moving into a place of my own, I have become a firm believer in the importance of having a home that feels special to retreat to day after day. One of the easiest ways to do that is to fill it with objets that have a sentimental value or things that simply are special to you for their own reason-things that make me smile. I try to rotate some of these things around my apartment from time to time to keep everything feeling fresh and I always look forward to going to my parents home where so many beautiful things remind me of my childhood. 

The needle point pillow above left was my grandmothers and it adds just the right touch of color to my bonnet chairs. The bookshelf to the right is a recent addition that keepsakes many a special treasure.

A beautiful barnacle is displayed on a silver tray at my childhood home- anything seashell related reminds me so much of my mom.

A really dear friend of mine gave me this fabulous book on Diana Vreeland. It sits on my coffee table with a silver tray that holds matches from a favorite restaurant in NYC.

These Mexican pillows are a recent addition to my bedroom and they really add life to the set-up.

Miniature tabasco bottles line my kitchen counter reminding me of my South Texas heritage.

A painting I did while living in Florence is offset by rows of books that just so happen to have shoesies as their bookends.  {Utilizing space?}

Teacup cookies were the perfect after-dinner treat for a recent dinner party with gal pals-wish I had them around all the time! {On a side note, I'm kind of loving this funky teapot knuckle duster ring}

A few little things but all are special! 

Evil Pumpkins + Juicing

As cheery as these little guys may seem, I have very quickly come to find that they are all evil. Down right devilish at heart. 

Don't let them fool you!

As a result of the obscene amount of evil pumpkins that have been consumed over here in my house, I have decided to try a few days of really being healthy. I've read so much about juicing lately and I've also wanted to delve further past the spinach, kale green drinks that I know and love and discover what else there is to offer. Here are a few of my favorite combinations thus far:

Breville is a well-known manufacturer of well-made juicing equipment and I've recently been reading a lot about this Breville Juice Fountain Elite- read more about it's unique juicing capabilities and its great features. 

Hope you all have a healthy day!

Oh Hello.

Fall is my season of choice: cozy throw blankets on the couch and the bed, visits to the local pumpkin patch, and hot apple cider tea are a few things that are to be expected at my house over the next few months. It's finally starting to cool down in Texas and that crisp morning air is one of the most delightful feelings just about ever. I am hosting a dinner party this week and I'm going to try for an al fresco table (with some fall accents, of course).

What do you look most forward to with this change of season? 

Carrying Into Fall

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, I'm getting geared up for the cool fall weather and all the coziness associated with the turning of seasons. I'm also gearing up for a transition in my personal everyday style. Though I'm not usually a big handbag gal,  this simple and sweet number is a definite contender for a fresh fall look. I really love the classic Ralph Lauren/Hermes aesthetic but the sweet scalloped detailing makes it a little different and unexpected.

The good price tag doesn't hurt either!

What are you all looking at for Fall?

My Style Scoop

I. Tucker Butterfly Dress

II. Structured Coach Clutch

III. Beautiful Mustard/Marigold Dress

IV. Tory Burch Purple Bracelet with Fox Head

V. Fabric & Crystal Necklace

VI. Jungle Red Lipstick by NARS

VII. Rabbit Clutch {swoon}

VIII. Black Stone Necklace

A Cherry On Top...

For just $56 this little cupcake confection is an absolute must for myself and all my girly girl friends {Tina, Katie, Abby, Bailey- you know who you are!} 

I love the light pink hue and the unexpected double strap. This is a "petite" dress, but ASOS tends to run big on me so I think you could just go with maybe ordering true to size if not 1 size larger on this.

Have a sweet day!

Smile

As time goes by and we all grow up, I think it's important to always find something to be proud of, to be happy about, and something to lighten the heart. For me, it's generally the little things that make me smile inside and out: a pretty color combination, a good, deep belly laugh, a comfortable evening at home or a sweet-yet distant-memory. Here are just a few things that are making me smile this week.

and

Hoping your week is light.

One for the Books...

I hope your weekend was filled with fun and relaxation!

 Mine was spent down on the Texas coast with good friends, good eats, and some great bebidas. Here is a short recap:

A FAB NEW SERIES....

 That's righttttt! 

Today I'm introducing a brand new series on Bluebonnets for Sal called Blooming Beauties. The name derives partly from my adoration for beautiful blooms and partly from all the gal pals who I totally stalk admire for their work in the blog world. In a nutshell, the ladies who I love catching up with day-to-day and feeling inspired from through their beautiful sites. It's been one of my personal favorite parts about being a so-called blogger is getting a little snippet of beauty and color from the lives of such fun and talented ladies. I couldn't think of a more fun or talented duo to kick off this series than the lovely sisters, Molly Bernadette and Sally Ann Miller from the uber fabulous blog, A Piece of Toast. These Dallas- based sissies are pretty darn fab. I was super excited to get to visit with them on a few of their favorite things.....take a look and check back next month for more!

Thank you sweet Molly B. and Sally A.! I look forward to formally meeting you one day!!!

xoxoxoxo

Bon Weekend!

Hoping your weekend is as beautiful as this evening I witnessed a few months ago.

Mesmerizing, in a word.

Happy Little Thoughts...

A few little things that are making me smile...

xx Have a happy week