b.i.b.

Good morning lovely's! I hope your week gets started off right.

watch downton abbey

I recently engaged in a 3 day marathon of the British Masterpiece Classic's hit Downton Abbey season one. It was visually so stunning and the story line doesn't disappoint. Watch it.

Here is the preview trailer for season one

Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

katharine hepburn connecticut home 4 sale

I ran across these photos of the late Katherine Hepburn's Connecticut home and I almost fell over as I was looking at each one. Talk about timeless, classic, beautiful decor. There isn't a thing I would change about any of it. It's just stunning but I wouldn't expect anything less I suppose. Happy Wednesday!

*source

have a beautiful weekend and words to live by

*images via

I ran across this today at just the right time. If you have a spare moment maybe you'll find them useful too. {Words to live by} Have a beautiful weekend. 

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.                                                                           
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did in 2010.
7. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
8. Sleep for 7 hours.
9. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

1. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
3. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
6. Dream more while you are awake.
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
8. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more.
14. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

1. Call your family often.
2. Each day give something good to others.
3. Forgive everyone for everything.
4. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
6. What other people think of you is none of your business.
7. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

1. Do the right thing!
2. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
3. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 
4. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
5. The best is yet to come.
6. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

(Source: herheartstaysgolden, via vogueandcoffee)

o' happy day

4 years ago today I was a super excited 25 year old. Nick in some sort of fit of craziness had asked me to be his bride. It was the perfect wedding for us, I mean there isn't anything I would change and I also feel blessed to say I feel the same way about  every second spent together since.

We're celebrating with a romantic home cooked meal after the little heads off to dream land. I'm fixing fettucini Martha style and baking the dark chocolate butter cake with raspberry sauce from The Farm Chicks cookbook.

Happy Anniversary love. You da' man. ♥   

this is a typical picture of nick. getting him to smile and look is like spotting big foot sunning himself on a beach in cabo.
for. real.

new photos of Rachel's Shabby Chic Malibu Pad

The L.A. Times recently featured Rachel Ashwell's stunning Malibu beach house. While I've always felt Rachel does a fabulous job at styling the spaces in her books, I'm really loving the particularly relaxed and easy feel of these images. So grab a cup of coffee, kick back and enjoy!

See the full article with more yummy images here. 

*images by Brian van der Brug for the L.A. Times.

white hot

The dog days of summer have definitely set in here with a heat index  again today forcasted to be above 100. In contrast I find myself drawn towards light, bright and airy spaces to balance out the "sweatyness" like this beautiful turn of the century home in Stockholm.

*images via 

This is how we've been staying cool...

Hope you have a great start to your week! I see lots of McDonald's 59 cent cones in my immediate future.

ruffle buns

Lucy had an impromptu "house" party Saturday evening. When I saw those sweet girls in all their ruffle swim glory I had to grab my camera. It was hysterical the way they jibber-jabbered away in their toddler talk to each other like little ladies at a dinner party. 

Happy Sunday ya'll! 

Saturday

Good morning! I know I've been a little scarce this week, quite frankly I just didn't have much to say. Been super busy just doing boring life stuff like catching up on laundry after the holiday weekend and hanging out outside a lot with Lucy. 

I do have some of this awesome low-fat banana bread baking in the oven right now. It's pairs so yummy with a morning cup of coffee or my favorite the 3 pm is it time for daddy to come home yet? cup of coffee.  You can find the easy recipe here. 

I also have great news if you want another chance to win a Shabby Apple Dress. One of my favorite people in the whole world is giving one away! You can visit her here.

I hope you all have a happy, relaxing, full weekend!