Easter 2011

Our family was lucky enough to host Easter this past weekend with our families. We decided to serve deli sandwiches and sides. We also had an egg hunt for the small kids and good conversation with adults:) I had so much fun planning and decorating for this brunch. Our "easter tree" was the centerpiece for the meal and the kid's colored eggs were the centerpiece for the dessert table. I found this beautiful yellow and floral wintage plate at Goodwill for a dollar and it held the sandwich meat. I also found the antique teacups and saucers on top of the drysink/hutch at Goodwill for a couple dollars this week too.

The weather was beautiful and I loved my kid's outfits. Jackson looked dashing in his orange gingham button down, sweater vest, khakis and rain boots. Emilia was a princess with her cream fabric flowered headband, tooled and printed taffeta Easter dress and white mary janes. The only thing missing was my parents and siblings:( We are so blessed.

collected cruise items.

As you know from my home decorating posts I appreciate a collected look so I decided to share photos of a few "collected" vacation items I scored from our recent cruise. The top picture with the jewelry and headbands are all the pretties that Emilia and I bought on our excursion. The photo with all the pink items ended up in Emilia's bedroom. I love the little turtle, the embroidered coin purse and the bejeweled, round jewelry box. The album pictured on the white table was purchased before the trip and holds the pictures of our trip...the fabric is Amy Butler and I love the way it looks displayed in my home. Most of the blue items ended up in my blue and white kitchen. I especially like the small bowl with the handpainted peacock and the seafoam green jewelry tray.

Springtime in Michigan

Our luscious rhubarb...I saw this picked and in a vase on a blog yesterday...
After a fresh rain...


Michiganders are feeling frustrated by a lack of Spring weather...we tried and found a few signs mother nature will not disappoint.

Emilia's Bedroom.

My little girl is 14 months and has the Biggest personality! I love her bedroom...it is constantly evolving and being updated. My inspiration in her room is shabby chic/little girl and Anthropologie. I love muted colors all hodge podged with layered prints for her bedroom decor. The decor was inspired by the letters that spell her name (pictured on the shelves above her dresser). My best friends made these for my baby shower and everything was built from those letters and the great valances I found for her windows. Her closet door was a beast and as you can see from the pictures was replaced with a purple, printed, cloth shower curtain that is much more feminine , kid friendly and functional.

My favorite thing is this room is the antique, yellow changing table I found for $10 in Caseville, MI at a yard sale about 3 years ago. I will never repaint it or change the original flower detail. This piece is so charming and when she becomes too big for a changing table I will repurpose the piece for toy storage. In addition, the small pink dresses displayed above the changing table were mine as a baby girl and the pink sign about saying your prayers hung in my bedroom as a kid for years. The pink shaggy rugs are the newest purchase and are made from recycled textile waste...they are soft as cotton candy!

Stevie Nix

I follow quite a few blogs and realize that the majority of style blogs use celebrities as their fashion icons and inspiration. While celebrities do have access to hot designers, dollars and stylists (and many do have looks I would love to replicate) I thought I would do something different with style inspirations. I want to highlight friends and family who use what they have collected over the years to create their own unique look and style which I love.

The first person I want to highlight is my cousin Stevie. Stevie is 21, lives in Tennessee and has always marched to the beat of her own drum. I admire my cousin for her fashion courage and playful spirit! She has the cutest little figure and adorable bohemian, eclectic style....here are a few pictures to prove it!

Wish list

For many years I wore a very skinny gold band on my right pointer finger. I lost it in a restaurant a few years ago and cannot find just the right one to replace it with. The price of this one is a bit high, but so beautiful I had to share!

My cruise fashions

I did not do a very good job of collecting photographs of any of my full outfits like I promised...sorry. I wish I had because there were some looks I was quite proud of. This is the best I had when I looked back through my photos.

I have to say that packing for and dressing for a cruise is very fun and exciting. I had the chance to pack light clothing for warm weather that was casual, bright and comfortable. However, I also had a reason to pack something dressy for every single day. I also had to consider this for each member of my family as I packed. We brought most of our clothing, but some of Emilia's sundresses and a few of my accessories were purchased as souvenirs and enjoyed on the trip. I loved packing for a cruise. I really enjoyed having an excuse to change my outfit so many times a day. I loved wearing hats, gold jewelry on tan skin, flowing sundresses and fitted evening dresses. The dressing, photography, shopping and time with family were my favorite things about this trip!

Caribbean Cruise 2011

Our family cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Isla Roatan, Honduras was beautiful and one of the most unique experiences we have shared together as a family thus far. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the family time and the views. RJ and I had time to spend as a couple and revive our family for the Spring. I spent time with my extended family by myself and was able to give them my full attention on some snorkeling adventures. The children were able to see things some adults never see. It really was a dream...the 382 pictures I brought back only begin to tell the tale of this amazing adventure.

Emilia's Cruise fashions

Bright colors and a little sass made most of my daughter's cruise outfits a success...she has such a presence for a little bitty thing:)