flowers

I have been searching for a flower painting for a while now. I saw one on someone's wall somewhere in the blogosphere that I loved. These are some of the best I found on Etsy.

I think this one might be my favorite.


found here, here, here, and here

gorgeous rooms

I love these two rooms, especially the wreaths in the windows.

via greige and black eiffel

spirit of christmas

I will be honest. I have not done one thing to get into the spirit of Christmas yet. It is kind of depressing.

I think I might trim my Mom's windows in the dining room with some garlands.

I wasn't going to put out a lot of decorations since it is already the 9th but I decided I am going to get out my village and nutcrackers at the very least. I found these photos on flickr, maybe they will give me some tips on how to make my village look more village-ish.

via flickr, martha stewart,

weddings

My little sister is now engaged! I am excited for all the wedding planning that is to come. She has an awesome antique ring (from 1880) and wants to have a modern Victorian theme for her dress and wedding. She is going to do yellow as her color with hints of green and white.

Since she wants some Victorian in her dress I think a bustle is called for. I love the bustle on this dress.

I don't know if she will go for this cake or if she will want something a little more detailed but I love the colors and simplicity of it.

I love this picture of a bride and her maids, the yellow skirts are what I really, really love.
via green apple and style me pretty

tis the season

I love the wreaths in addition to the greenery down the staircase.

I like the wall Christmas trees, I saw one in CB2 last year that was perfection.

Mistletoe ball
via martha stewart

book group

My book club is reading Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway and John Bidwell. I haven't started it yet but it looks so interesting. Here is the description from Goodreads.

Monique and the Mango Rains is the compelling story of a rare friendship between a young Peace Corps volunteer and a midwife who became a legend. Monique Dembele saved lives and dispensed hope in a place where childbirth is a life-and-death matter. This book tells of her unquenchable passion to better the lives of women and children in the face of poverty, unhappy marriages, and endless backbreaking work. Monique's buoyant humor and willingness to defy tradition were uniquely hers. In the course of this deeply personal narrative, as readers immerse themselves in the rhythms of West African village life, they come to know Monique as friend, mother, and inspired woman.

house checklist

We are getting our house ready to put on the market since we will be moving this summer. We don't have a definite location but our list has narrowed to Salt Lake City, Austin and Denver. I love Shutterfly's moving announcements but this one is my favorite.

To prepare our house to sale I am turning to Real Simple. They have this kind of stuff down to an art. Here is my to-do list after consulting the pros.

1. Paint- we need to paint our red accent wall back to white and touch up other spots around the house
2. Finish projects- mainly we need to add trim to a door we cut to the crawl space.
3. Clean and De-clutter- I am working on this. I have already started packing some boxes and am getting rid of a pile of clothes, games, etc.

baby gift

I saw this tutorial on freezer stenciling on Dana Made It. It has got to be one of the most brilliant ideas ever. I also loved the baby gift set she made.