My Friend Floyd

they will always be one of my favorite bands and this is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite sweatshirts.  it's super soft and lightweight and my kids get excited every time they see that rainbow... 

 target style #136 - pink floyd the dark side of the moon sweatshirt

Glass House

i am so in love with this white mini greenhouse.  it's classic, yet modern and the fact that the top panels can be left open makes it so versatile.  the best part - it's plexi-glass so it's not as fragile as it appears.  i intended to use it outside this spring, but after playing around and filling it with succulents [of course], an antler, and candle i think it's going to have a home on our table for a while.  i can picture little decorations strung through it for special occasions and holidays and many more ways to fill it, the possibilities are endless... 

white socker greenhouse / mercury glass candle holders / succulents / vintage antler + candle

Words of the Week...

via dream big magazine

Mr. Tiger

we absolutely love this book - mr. tiger goes wild by peter brown.  it was a gift from a dear friend and i have enjoyed reading it just as much as the boys.  it has instantly become a bedtime favorite...

 this was intentional, but we often dress alike by accident.
cole put his tiger shirt on before he knew i was photographing the book,

so i put mine on too and then he ironically flashed the peace sign.

mr. tiger goes wild / military style patch denim shirt / schleigh animals

Spaceship Adventure

i was attempting to clean out our disaster of a basement when the boys started begging me to build them a spaceship from the pile of cardboard boxes.  so i thought okay, maybe this will keep them busy for a while...

when we finished it cole said they were going to china and asked me to take his picture.
seconds after this... that globe went flying across the room, the front of the spaceship broke,
and dean threw up.  so then it became bath time.  

see more from my instagram feed here

Styling with Kids

the coffee table probably gets the most decorating action in the entire house.  i walk past it a thousand times a day so naturally it's where my new little treasures and favorite things land.  right now things are very neutral and the vibe is black & white, brass, lucite, and stone.  the kids are always adding to it too and i absolutely love the look of their toys mixed in, and let's face it - nothing is really be hands off when you have little ones...

target style #135 - acrylic gem by nate berkus

the tassel pillow is from my shop
the sequin pillow and aztec throw were found here
and dean's photo-bombing baby feet.

i love rearranging the coffee table because it's a quick and inexpensive way for me to get a decorating "fix",  but i know accessorizing can often be the hardest part for people.  the key is to have variety in height and material and an unexpected items or two are good conversation starters.  starting off with a tray automatically ties everything together and then it's easier to clear that way too.  this lucite one is especially good for kids and looks great with everything.  then layer on a few books, a candle, and your favorite pieces [or kids toys] of the moment.  nate berkus has been designing some real "gems" including the literal one above for target lately, that are not only affordable, but kid friendly too.

get the layered look + see my current favorite things...

01. menagerie - by sharon montrose / 02. die cast model jeep wrangler / 03. acrylic gem and gold arrowhead

05. lucite format tray / 06. moroccan style hexagon lantern / 07. celestial coasters in white / 08. vintage binoculars / 09. annie leibovitz at work

Bohemian Bardot

this ring was a christmas present to myself this year and i haven't stopped wearing it since.  it's by samantha wills and the little wooden box it comes in is just as beautiful as the ring itself.  i have always loved big jewelry and feel more like myself when i'm wearing larger pieces, like this vintage silver necklace i paired it with...

the bohemian bardot in white from third street habit

see more of samantha's stunning jewelry on her site and

follow her on instagram to view inspiring images

of her life spent between new york and australia

sources: white ceramic lamp by nate berkus / black & gold ceramic jar

round white tray / ivory cardigan / let it be beatles tee / petty boot / beni ourain rug

// see more of this room here //

 also i'm obsessed with my husbands latest cologne - L' 'Homme' by Yves St Laurent.

it is seriously the best one he has ever had, so much so that we use it like room spray!

North Polar

cole and i both loved this shirt the moment we saw it.  he then asked if we could take a trip to the north pole, but with the unusual cold its seems like we're not far from it.  i'm trying to keep the warm and fuzzy feelings around here and keep cabin fever from setting in, and find creative ways to enjoy this hibernation that will be over before we know it...

 target style #135 - polar bear kids tee

sources: warm fuzzy feelings [no whining] print by hammer press

swiss cross pillow from my etsy shop / framed vintage flag 

and knitted pirate eye patch by oeuf 

Making an Entrance

i have been shopping with my client julia for the past several months and things are really starting to come together.  her home was pretty close to empty when we started because it was a huge square footage upgrade from her brooklyn apartment.  you may remember her beautiful double doors from this post.  her home is an old carriage house so it was originally designed to drive straight through this entrance all the way to the back.  we decided to make the most of this vast hallway and treat it as much like a functional room as possible.  she loves to read and often works from home so we have been calling it her entry/library/office!  here's a sneak peek at the overall feel and some of what we've collected to make this a cozy, functional, and feminine space...

mercury glass lamp with burlap shade / a large round mirror / chic office accessories

tortoise shell accents and touches of pink / a few white billy bookcases in a row

campaign desk / acrylic vapor chair and my favorite - a vintage style

over-dyed oriental rug simliar to this one 

Powerful

our boys are two and four and very intense.  they are high energy, very curious and pretty much have an opinion on everything - which can be funny, but also be very frustrating at times.  i often think that many of these traits will make them adults that go after their dreams to get exactly what they want out of life, and hopefully be happy because of it.  and isn't that what many parents want most for their children... for them to be happy?  however, this strong willed personality is not exactly easy to raise and it's hard to know how to handle every situation without crushing their spirt.  well many of my questions and frustrations have finally been answered by this book...

parenting your powerful child by dr kevin leman

i have never been a big reader, but i can't put it down.  the curled up edge

that had to be flattened with that bear [hibernating] nearby.

let me also say that this is never going to become a parenting blog.  i am the second oldest of seven and even though i have been around kids my whole life, i still don't feel like i know any more than the average parent.  every kid and family dynamic is different and my husband and i are really just figuring things out as we go.  i was talking to a dad with four and five year old boys at the playground recently and he said "oh, two and four - you are in the thick of it!"  in many ways i hope he is right, but i'm not sure it ever really gets any easier, the situations only change.  if you are a parent/grandparent with kids under the age of twenty, then i highly recommend this book.  power struggles come in all different sizes and even the quiet ones can pull them off in a subtle way to where you may not even realize it.  it is full of ways to diffuse situations before and even after they've begun.  i also learned a lot about my own personality, which i did not expect. 

i have implemented some of the tactics the past couple days and i can't believe the difference they've made and i'm not even finished with the book!  

example // cole has a major sweet tooth and is always trying to find ways to work us over for a treat.
i told him "no" a couple times and offered other options like i often do.  then i tried responding in one of the ways the book suggested.  when he didn't get his way he didn't pout, but actually said...

"this is going to be harder than i thought." 

 i had to turn away so he wouldn't see me smile.  he walked away and
went onto the next thing and it didn't come up again - it was all the proof i needed!

Sayonara

2013... can't wait to see what 2014 brings!

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well, this pretty much sums it up... here's to more sun,
music, and trying to live life less caffeinated!

featuring walkabout by atlas sound [with noah lennox]