love it

My sister put this picture of my grandparents on her blog today. I love it.

cradles

via brown button
This is the first baby cradle I have seen in blog world. I love the idea of a cradle, it feels very Lady and the Trampish. Do you remember the cradle in that movie?

closet organization

I have seen pegboard make it's way into a lot of kitchens lately. I love Martha's idea of putting it the closet for maximum storage.

windows

I love these multi-paned windows. Gorgeous.
via house and home, pillow mint, greige

easter brunch

I am hosting an Easter brunch at my house this weekend. I like these food options...

baked french toast casserole


shrimp cocktails


scalloped potatoes with leeks


spinach and gruyere quiche


deviled eggs


lemon curd trifle


asparagus gruyere tart

always a bad idea...

to search Food Network when you are hungry. But these recipes sound/look so good. I love Ina Garten.

California BLT

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

raspberry cream cheese bars

I saw these Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars on Cookbook Junkies. They look delicious, I think I will try them out this weekend.

ashley judd

I love that Ashley Judd loves her team (Kentucky) so much. Apparently she goes to ALL of their games.

container gardening

I am starting to make plans for my container garden this year. I started looking for inspiration and I think I have come up with a few ideas. The first being that I want to add more color to my pots and a better selection of sizes and textures.

One thing I loved about this picture was the miniature trees flanking the entry to the stairs.

I like the idea of having at least one pot that contains only greenery.


photos via Martha Stewart, Urban Garden Casual, and Olieveaux

ready for spring/summer

This picture gives me spring fever. I can't wait for the nights that can be spent outside on the patio.

This picture is mostly for archiving purposes, I like the pool. More specifically, I like the stone border around the pool and the lack of concrete.

photos via house beautiful

still hunting

This might be a better pastel option than the gray.

easter decorations

Easter will soon be here and with it (hopefully) spring! I loved these two Easter decor ideas from Martha Stewart.

walkways

Once upon a time I dreamed of becoming a landscape architect, my parents even bought a landscape computer program so I could make digitalized gardens to my heart's content. One thing I look forward to is having a garden of my own, doesn't that sound like fun? Container gardening just doesn't give off the same satisfaction. I think when I do have my own garden I would like to flank the entry way with flowers.

I love these two alternatives to cement walk ways.

all photos via better homes and gardens

eat, pray, love

I am really excited to see this movie. I started the book a few years ago but I didn't finish it before I had to get it back to the library. I loved the half of it I did read and Julia Roberts is spectacular so it has to be a winning combination, right?

dining hall

via Elle Decor
I love this huge mirror. It gives an air of magnificence.
P.S. have you seen the renovation posts on A Room Somewhere? The house looks gorgeous.

teal

via Caitlin Wilson Design

I love the color on the wall. All the floral paintings look nice as well, I guess it is just a matter of finding the right ones...

the plate wall

via bluelines
I have been collecting plates for a plate wall. I have a wide variety of plates, some dating to the late 1800's, others circa 2010. I have struggled in trying to find a good combination and variety. I felt better after I read on Bluelines about how it took two years to collect the right collection of plates.

via grey likes nesting
One thing is certain, I need to diversify the size of plates and get some big plates.

gray

I need a pastel dress, does gray count?

flowers for the holiday

via Martha Stewart

Bells of Ireland are all too appropriate for a St. Patrick's Day bouquet. I love the festivity of the all green flower arrangement.

flower paintings

I am no art connoisseur. I generally know what I like but when it comes to flower paintings I am always at a loss. What do you think of these?

Tea and Flowers

Poppy Field

Poppies watercolor

Sunny Garden

Flowers in spring

back home

I am back home from my weekend of class. I have been learning about architectural styles. I think I might revive the House Styles segments, now that I know a little more.

We got to go on a tour of building that was built in the 1800's and used as an insane asylum until the the 1970's. In the past few years they have taken half of the buildings and converted them into condos and shopping.

The renovation

The outside.

We also got to tour the part that has yet to be renovated, it was pretty creepy.

a thought

I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice, it is a personal favorite of mine. A teacher recently commented on how everyone should have a book they read every 10 years or so, ideally one that you have read in childhood, teenage years and so on. The thought behind this is that in a good piece of literature you will find different things as you mature. The example he gave was Huckleberry Finn.

I have given quite a bit of thought to this, the best books I can think of for me are Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables. I think Pride and Prejudice fits into this category as well though. I first read it in high school (while traveling in England, it was amazing) but even as I read it again this time I noticed things that I hadn't picked up before. Mr. Darcy has a sense of humor! What book can you read over and over?

razzle dazzle cupcake

I don't really like cupcakes, they hold little interest to me and I find they are usually dry. Then I tried the razzle dazzle cupcake, and honestly, I have never had a better cupcake in my life. They are divine. Vanilla bean cupcake with raspberry filling (filling is also on my distaste list) but these cupcakes are quite simply amazing.

st. pat's recipes

St. Patrick's Day is coming! I found some Irish inspired recipes for the day.

chocolate irish creme cheesecake

colcannon

american architecture

via radeka photography

via art.com
I have a two weekend class that begins this weekend on the evolution of American Architecture. I am really excited to learn the particulars of the different styles of architecture.

city comparison: top contenders

My husband and I have been evaluating the different cities (see here) and these are our front runners. We will likely be visiting all three of these cities before the summer is through in order to get a better feel for them. While these are our top runners we are keeping an eye open for good opportunities in the other cities as well, we will have to follow the best opportunity in the end.

via destination 360
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake is a long shot, due to a distinct lack of opportunity, but it is our number one choice. There's no place like home.

via Wikipedia
Dallas, Texas
The cost of living is hard to beat and the weather is so warm. Plus, it just seems like an awesome place.

via batikart
Denver, Colorado
Denver's easy access to family is a definite plus. It is an awesome city and the weather and mountains help to make it feel more like home.