Mad Men: Help Porter be a Walk-on

Go HERE and vote 5 stars for Porter to win her chance to be a walk-on for Mad Men. Read more here. Thanks!

Wedding Album: A beautiful day for a wedding in Idaho

As promised, I am finally getting the photos from our wedding album up on the blog. I hope you enjoy!

Of course there was red in the wedding :) And if you want to see more photos of weddings from our awesome photographer and friend click here.

Anthropolification: Belted Sheath

I realized it has been awhile since I have posted an Anthropolification feature. This one is for a stunning Anthropologie sheath dress I would love to add to my closet staples- but don't want to shell out over $200 for. You can find my Anthropolification finds below.

Anthropologie: Sunlit Angles Sheath ($228)

Forever21: Side Pocket Shift Dress ($29.80)

Spiegel: Belted Metallic Linen Dress ($59)

Spiegel: Signature Daytime Satin Surplice Dress ($59)

Ann Taylor Loft: Shift Dress with Pockets ($89.50)

Ann Taylor Loft: Printed Sheath Dress ($79.50)

Spiegel: Signature Effortless Tweed Sheath Dress ($49)

JCPenney: east5th Belted Pintuck Dress ($59.99)

Victoria's Secret: Tulip-Skirt Dress ($128)
Spiegel: Silk Shantung Dress ($129)

Spiegel: Metallic Linen Knee-Length Belted Sheath ($49)
Garnet Hill: Pleated Cap-Sleeve Knit Dress ($78)

JCrew: Silk-Cotton Ellie Dress ($245)

JCrew: Silk Taffeta Clementine Dress ($215)

Overstock: Calvin Klein Belted Sleeveless Sheath Dress ($74.99)

Old Video Favorite: Noveltoon's "Little Audrey"

Etsy Picks: Vintage Books

I was so excited about the vintage book I recently received that I began to search for more classic books I grew up reading. I would love to have an entire library of bare-boned hardback books with their sleeves removed. I love the texture and look of book covers by themselves. Here are some books that would be great shelf fillers:


1. Around the World ($4) 2. 1965 Esquire Party Book ($9.50)
3. A Girl of the Limberlost ($40) I used to LOVE this movie growing up.
4. If I Were Going ($3) 5. Replogle World Atlas ($9)
6. Encyclopedia of Modern Sewing ($18) 7. 255 Party Games to Play ($6)
8. 1920s Nature Library: 5 Volume Set ($40) 9. Elephants Can Remember ($10- one in a set of two) 10. Science Stories: Book 3 ($10) 11. Common Words Difficult to Spell ($15)


These are some books I would love to add to my small collection of children's books:

1. The Black Hole ($5) 2. Whistle for Willie ($1.50)
3. The Story of Babar ($4.50) A favorite of mine. 4. There's a Nightmare in My Closet ($2)
5. The Taxi That Hurried ($4.50) 6. The Mouse and the Motorcycle ($1) What kid doesn't love this book? 7. The Tale of Peter Rabbit ($10) 8. Trudy's First Day at Camp ($7.50)
9. I Wish, I Wish ($8) 10. Aesop's Fables ($7) The classic fables we all hear while growing up.

There were also a few vintage books I came across that had amazing illustrations that I would love to use as artwork on my bare, white walls. Here are some of my favorite finds:

1. Lion Cub Scout Book ($10) 2. What Shall I Cook Today? ($7.50) These images would be so fun to frame for your kitchen wall. 3. A Day of Autumn ($6.50) The colors in these illustrations are fabulous! 4. The Peacock Party ($24.50) 5. Rainbow Sunset India Pulp Novel ($10.20)
6. The Lions Cavalcade ($22.50)

DIY: Fabric Envelopes with Design Sponge

This tutorial from Derek & Lauren on Design Sponge is fabulous! I want to start cranking out some fabric envelopes ASAP!

See tutorial here.

Sewing Skirts: Featured on Grosgrain

I don't know how I missed this (actually its probably because I have been neglecting my flickr account for some time now) but one of my summer skirts was featured on the amazing Grosgrain! You can see it here.

I received many comments on the skirt and people have asked what pattern I used, if any. I did use a pattern from Simplicity's New Look line, which I used for two other skirts as well. This skirt got a personal twist on the pattern since I wanted to add the wide yellow band at the bottom of the hem.


Thanks for the feature, Kathleen!

Late Night Goodies: Weddings throw in a Hankie

Yes, it is almost midnight and I am still up....I am home alone so I have the authority to do what I want- including staying up past my bedtime. Besides, this wedding gift idea was worth it to stay up late.

The fabulous brunettes over at Two Brunettes have stunned me with this great gift idea! These unique hankies have been bundled up in plastic packaging to give as gifts to the bride's lovely ladies, including mom and aunties. And they will all be glad to have their sweet gift when their gal ties the knot and they gush with happiness! Brilliants gifts are the best!

Similar Finds: Ikea in Malaysia

It's funny to think that my first time in an Ikea store was in a foreign country. I've been reminiscing on that shopping trip and wishing I had been able to ship some items home with me. Here's some of my favorite spreads from their catalog.

Faux built-in bookshelves.

Wooden crates on wheels.

Plum painted walls and stainless steel kitchen rods.

Slate gray walls.

A little gardening nook.

Recreating the Rain in New Orleans

My father-in-law sent me this video by email and I think it perfectly represents the rain storms we've been getting on and off in New Orleans lately. Wham-bam and then its gone.

My Daily Day: Crackin' down and Gettin' my art did

Ok. No more cry baby. I'm getting work done today. I woke up extra early to get the Hubby to the airport so I am forcing myself to stay awake and get some much needed work done. I am hoping that this means I can eat dinner early and watch t.v. till I fall asleep (what a great way to spend the evening alone).

Paintset by me

Brain Smart: Saving PSD transparency for Illustrator

Ba-da-ba! I have found an answer to my LONG term question of how to keep the transparency of a Photoshop image when exported to an Illustrator file! Well, technically there are a few different ways to solve this dilemma. Some techies suggest you use the pen tool to trace your object, but this is SO time consuming! I want to be able to use my magic wand tool to erase all the background and save it as a transparent background. And now I know how!

Step-by-Step:

1. Open your image up in Photoshop.

2. Unlock the image by double-clicking on the lock icon next to the image layer.

2. Select the background or any other part of the image you don't want showing in Illustrator and delete (I literally hit the "delete" key for this action).

3. Go to the "Help" menu at the top of Photoshop and select "Export Transparent Image".

4. In the pop-up window, select the first option, "My image is on a transparent background".

5. Choose whether you plan to use the image for printing purposed or online.

6. I want to use my image for online, so I then choose the format I want it saved as. GIF or PNG.

7. Then rename the image (unless you want it to use the auto-save name) and hit "Save"

And Ta-Da! You now have the image saved with a transparent background. Easy-peasy.

Dreaming of Care Bears

Catering to the You and Me: Pottery Barn

Have you seen the "Caterer's Outdoor 12-piece Dinnerware Set" available from Pottery Barn? This seems like such an awesome bundle idea for outdoor ware. Sadly, this set (only $39) has already sold out, which tells me it really WAS a great idea!

New Envy: Sunday Suppers in Brooklyn

Speaking of delicious looking food, I hope you have all found the new Sunday Suppers blog! I am so envious of Brooklyn for having such an amazing opportunity to cook and dine with Casey and Karen!

My Daily Cookbook: New Salmon recipe!

Tonight I am trying a NEW salmon recipe I have been saving. House Beautiful has a monthly feature with the Barefoot Contessa and she shared this recipe that makes salmon look mouthwatering! Yum, yum, yum! (As you can see from my "note-to-self" marked on the top of the page below.)

(click on the image to enlarge to print)

My Daily Day: Camera malfunctions and New batteries

Thank you, little camera for surviving a night on the town and becoming operable again this morning. It would have been sad to lose you!

Home Inspiration: White Coffee Table

I have been saving this image for some time now, after I spotted the white coffee table. We have been moving around with a very large wooden coffee table that I was handed down by my mother. I have considered throwing it out several times, but the hubby loves it. So I have finally began to start the process of painting this table white! I will post on my process and the turnout soon.

Red Craving: Ikea Embroidered Pillow

The red pillow in the middle is the pillow I purchased from Ikea in Malaysia. The map of the world is embroidered in different neutral colors. It looks great paired up with our red sofa!

My Daily Day: Wash day and Mending clothes

I have piles of "please mend it" clothes from the hubby and yesterday my procrastination on the pile was discussed, so I've decided to be fair and get cracking on the pile. I'm also in high hopes that I will finally conquer the laundry pile that swallowed our closet when we got back from Malaysia. I will have to dig out my Superwoman cape to accomplish these things!

Lulu's Favorites: Top Ten

I am really loving the new items being added to Lulu's inventory online and I wanted to share my top ten picks from their new additions.

Blackjack Dress ($26)

Dew Drop Tunic in White ($58)

My favorite find: the Twilight Jacket by BB Dakota ($63.50)

Blockbuster Handbag in Grey ($47)

Hamptons Dress by Collective Concepts ($57)

Florentine Top in Yellow ($47)

Moonstruck Strapless Dress ($37)

Study Hall Sweater ($29)

On the Left: Life's a Ball Necklace in Silver ($24)
On the Right: Hot Studded Bracelet in Black and Brown ($16)

My Red Craving: Red walls and accent pillows

I love this red room- though I don't think I will ever allow my craving to get this satisfaction (I know if I allowed myself to paint a room red, I would start painting many other rooms red too). So, I will stick with my red couch and accent pieces. Did I tell you about the fabulous red pillow I purchased at the Ikea in Malaysia? I will post on the pillow soon.

Summer Legs Inspiration

For some reason, these images make me want to shave my legs and get outside! :)

Shopping in Malaysia: Peter Hoe

I had read some amazing reviews on the Peter Hoe stores in Kuala Lumpur and had hoped to be able to stop by one of the two stores during our trip.

I was so excited to stumble upon the store!

During our monorail trip to visit Central Market and Chinatown we spotted Peter Hoe's Evolution store down the street. We immediately fell in love and purchased many items. As we were checking out the clerk told us their large store, Peter Hoe Beyond, was just down the street as well! I LOVE these stores and I hope you'll shop there if you ever get to visit Kuala Lumpur. I do wish they had an online shop :(

image via: The New York Times

We also got a chance to meet Justin Yap at his design studio at the back of Peter Hoe Beyond. Justin designs amazing evening gowns and let us take a peek at the traditional Muslim wedding gown he was making for a friend of his. You can read an interview with Justin here.

Pampering and Nail Polish

I used up my relaxation time during our vacation by getting pampered at the hotel. I had my first Thai massage and I'm still unsure if I would try it again. My body is still aching three days later.
I also got a pedicure to prep up my sandal feet. I love the OPI nail polish used at salons and I found that OPI has partnered up with Sephora to sell some great nail polish colors. They've come up with some great names for the polish colors, like "Meramaid to Order", "Meet for Drinks", " What's a Tire Jack", and "I'm With Brad". That is a job I want- naming nail polishes!

Back from KL

I'm back from Malaysia! I never realized how much I would miss sleeping in my own soft bed (we slept on a bed that was literally like sleeping on a 2x4). I'll post some photos from the trip shortly.