Pearls in Paradise

Looking for Dining Room Inspiration

2013-06-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Long time, no blog. It has been a crazy spring and family has had to come before blogging. I believe that things are settling down now as we are into summer and hopefully I can start to re-focus. The kids are all finished with school and are into to their sleeping-in routine. This makes for quiet mornings for me to get my creative juices flowing again over a cup of tea.

You might (or might not) notice that the blog is looking like it's original self. I wasn't totally happy with the new header and didn't really have the time to tweak it so I just took it back to the tired and true pink and green theme. I will be working on a new header and design, but will wait until it is perfect before it makes it's debut.

My dining room has been really bugging me lately. For one thing, the hubs has sort of taken it over for the last couple of years because he is one of the scout leaders in our son's scout troop. By the way, I am usually not one to brag except for now---my son recently became an Eagle Scout. I'm one proud mamma! Anyway, back to the dining room. It has been the storage area for so much scout ~~crap~~ paraphernalia and I must say that I am totally over it all. It is all going to be moved to some other ~~victim~~ leader's house in the next week or so. I really really really want to do some work in that room once all of that stuff is gone. I am contemplating paint colors and looking at pinterest and magazines for inspiration.

I found this on Pinterest:

Mary McDonald

This dining room by Mary McDonald is drop dead gorgeous. Now does this work for my dining room? That would be a big fat no. It is just too formal for the furniture that I have to work with. But I love the green color of the wallpaper with the creamy (pale yellow?) drapes along with the mix of furnishings.

Then there is the other side of me that wants to go more casual and beachy. Like the dining room in the Somethings Gotta Give movie house done by James Radin.

James Radin

I am a coastal beachy girl at heart so this dining room still makes my heart swoon. Does it work in my dining room? Not quite, but it is possibly doable. By that I mean that I think I can work with my existing furniture etc. to take the room more in the direction of being more casual and beachy. I love the creamy color on the walls and it appears to be somewhat similar to a color I have running through a lot of my house. My family room, breakfast nook, playroom and hallway are all painted Benjamin Moore Linen Sand and I find it quite livable and lovely.

It has that creamy vibe to it. But do I really want to paint my dining room this color? If I did, I think that I would want to also paint my living room this color too since they open up to each other. Doing this would probably give me more of the vibe that I really want in the house though and it also works well with my dining room furniture that I am stuck with.

I actually really like my farmhouse style dining room table and chairs. They belonged to my husband before we got married and is actually very nice furniture. I also adore the dresser that we added later. We found it in an antique shop in town and I think it works well with the table and chairs. It is bird's eye maple and walnut and I love the retro vibe it gives off. What I despise is the corner cabinet. Well maybe despise is too strong of a word. We bought it when we lived in a much smaller house and it was perfect in the tiny dining room there. It also matched the table and chairs which I would never do now. I have discussed painting it with the hubs but he says "no way". By the way, he thinks that everything with a wood grain is beautiful and doesn't understand why anyone would paint furniture unless the finish was damaged or something. I will keep working on him, but for now will respect his wishes.

Note to self---turn out light before photographing.

The color of the walls appears to be lighter than they really are. They are definitely a golden yellow color. I think it was Glidden Soft Gold---it was a long time ago. Anyone have any suggestions? Should I go with a more dramatic color or take it more coastal?

Happy Summer!

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J. CREW Brompton Mini-Hobo Review

2013-05-14T14:02:00.002-04:00

Hi all! Yes, I am still alive. I know it has been a while since my last post and they have been sporadic at best lately. Sorry about that. I hope that everyone had a lovely Mother's Day! Mine was enjoyable. The hubs brought me red roses and the kids got me a nice bromeliad and made me beautiful cards. My son is quite the artist and sketched me a beautiful sea shell. We met the in-laws for lunch on Sunday and then I lounged by the pool with the newspaper for a bit. All in all it was a wonderful day for me!

I had posted recently that I wanted a new brown handbag. Click here to see that post. I am on a J.Crew kick right now and really thought that I would love their Biennial Hobo. Since they were offering a 30% off everything at the time, I decided to order the handbag in the saddle color and also wanted to try the Brompton Mini-Hobo as well. I hoped to like one of the bags and return the other one. Well, the Biennial Hobo is a beautiful bag, but it is simply too large for me. I am 5'3" tall and that bag sort of swamped me. My stuff also got lost in it and I don't think I could ever fill it up. If you need a really large bag, it might work for you, but I had to return it.

The Brompton Mini-Hobo was another story......

J.CREW Brompton Mini-Hobo in Henna

I will tell you that I LOVE this handbag. The size is perfect for me and I am not sure why they call it "mini" really. To me is it is just a normal size bag. Actually it is still very generous in size. It is also very well designed with a large side zip section that is perfect for your wallet and then an even larger section that closes with a turn lock closure so it is easy to get in and out of. It has interior zip pockets as well as slip pockets for cell phone, sunglasses etc.

This bag is plenty big for what I carry with room to spare for a small umbrella, a water bottle and even a magazine.

I put my checkbook size wallet in the large zipper compartment with plenty of room for other items too.

Nice size zipper pocket with brass plate J.Crew logo.

Roomy slip pockets. Having camera issues---sorry for blur.

The leather is scrumptious and feels like buttah. It is soft and supple pebbled leather and it has a vintage feel to it, and I mean that in a good way. It is lined with cotton twill. The hardware is quite substantial and appear to be of good quality, and the turn lock closure seems to be pretty solid. It squeaks a bit, but I would imagine that will go away with time and use. The handles are long enough to wear over my shoulder but I also like to carry it on my arm. There is an adjustable shoulder strap as well that you can take off if you want. It is nice to have if you want to wear the bag cross body or just wear it on your shoulder that way too.

Side snaps to give it a more steamlined look. Unsnap if you are carrying more stuff.

Easy to remove adjustable strap

Look how much it expands!

I also love the henna color of this bag. It is really seasonless and goes with a lot of colors and styles of clothing. So this one is definitely a keeper, especially with 30% off. Would I buy it for full price? Probably not, but it would not be because it isn't worth it. If you compare the quality and features of this bag with other comparable brands (and even higher end brands...), I think it might be worth the full price. But, when you know there is always a discount eventually, you might as well wait for it. Amen?

And to give you a real person feel for the size of this bag, here it is on my 5'3" frame. It is plenty big and not mini at all. The regular size Brompton would be way too big for me plus I just don't need that much space.

So now you have met my new love. I hope the hubs doesn't get jealous! Have a wonderful day!

P.S. I didn't receive anything from J.Crew to write this post.

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Tory Burch Thora Sandal Review

2013-05-01T10:34:00.001-04:00

Hi all! How is every one's Tuesday going so far? We got an early start this morning because my daughter had a dentist appointment at 7:10 a.m.! We got her teeth cleaned (no cavities--yea!) and made it to school on time too. She has an orthodontist appointment later today so this is a day of oral health for her!

Last Friday I had posted (click here to see) about some pretties that I had ordered for myself with some birthday cash. So I thought I would so some reviews this week as they all start to trickle in.

First up is the Tory Burch Thora sandal in black patent. I received these sandals late yesterday. Unfortunately, our UPS person comes late and the hubs actually intercepted the order. I hate it when that happens! Anyway, I was finishing up with dinner and he comes in the kitchen and tells me that I have a package from Tory B*@&%. Very funny. (not really...).

I was able to get into the box after dinner and they are very cute and just what I was looking for. They smell like leather when you open the box which is always a good thing. The patent leather is nice and shiny and the foot bed appears to be leather also. The bottom is rubbery and very lightweight.

As you can see, there is a pattern on the foot bed. I had read some reviews that stated that this was painful to the bottom of your feet at first. I have only walked around the house in these so far, but this is not bothering me at all at the moment.

See how shiny the patent leather is? I am not sure I would like these as much in the tumbled leather. I like tumbled leather, but it might be boring on this simple thong sandal. The patent leather gives them a little zip. The silver Tory Burch logo is prominent but not over the top. Some of her logos on the shoes and handbags are a little much in my opinion and I like the little more understated logo on this shoe.

In case you are interested, here is the bottom of the shoe with more Tory logo so you can leave a Tory Burch imprint wherever you go. As mentioned earlier, they are very lightweight on the feet.

They come in only whole sizes and I am a size 8 but sometimes will take an 8.5 if I need some width because my tootsies are a touch wide. I ordered the 8 and they fit perfectly and are quite comfortable.

I plan to wear these sandals a lot over the spring and summer and even into the fall because I am in Florida. They will look great with shorts and pants/jeans and even with casual dresses and skirts. They would also be perfect on the beach or by the pool. As far as longevity goes, only time will tell. My first impression is that they will not last more than a couple of years and the retail price of $125 might be a bit much for them. I used a $50 birthday coupon to purchase these and that makes them a little more worth it. The bottom line is that I give the Tory Burch Thora sandal the thumbs up and would probably purchase another color if a good sale came along.

So what do you think? Do you have the Thora sandal? Do you have any other Tory Burch items that you love? I would love to hear your opinion.

Hope you are having a spectacular Tuesday!

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Retail Therapy

2013-04-26T10:04:00.001-04:00

Hello all! It's been a while, but I am still here! Do you find yourself getting a little burned out at the end of the school year? Well, that is where I am at the moment. I am SO ready for summer and a simpler schedule. This week has been super hectic because my daughter is in a school play. She has two more performances today and then we can relax!

I decided that I needed a little retail therapy to give me a boost. I also had some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket and have found a few sales too tempting.

I love Tory Burch but have never bit the bullet and put up the cash for any of her beautiful things. I get emails from them and I must have put my birthday in because they emailed me a $50 coupon to be used pretty much on anything. I needed some new black sandals, so I ended up ordering these cuties in black patent.

Tory Burch Thora Sandals

I haven't received the order yet so I will have to let you know how they are. I think they will look cute with pretty much any casual outfit! My Tory Burch loving sister also shared that if you order via the Tory Burch store on Facebook, you can always get free shipping with no minimum! Thanks Sis!

I also needed some new brown sandals too. I have some adorable brown thongs that I have had for years, but the sole has split and they will have to be retired. I decided that I wanted another pair of Jack Rogers sandals if I could find them in the right shade of brown. I want more of a saddle color of brown as opposed to a darker and more true brown. This is what I found:

Jack Rogers Black Label Navajo sandal in cognac color

I ordered these babies on Amazon and the price is a super deal because they have them priced like regular Jack Roger sandals instead of the Black Label price which is usually a bit higher. They are a bit expensive but these sandals are excellent quality and they literally last forever, so they are worth the money in my opinion. The style is so iconic and timeless. I think I will get a lot of wear out of them.

Moving away from shoes now..... I also have a small JCrew order arriving today. I had a 30% off coupon and just felt the need to use it too. I found these pretties for my closet:

JCrew Ikat Tee

The Ikat tee was in the sale section (final sale actually---ugghh!). I think it will be a great casual top to wear with shorts and jeans.

JCrew Short Sleeve Chambray shirt

I recently bought a long sleeve chambray shirt which I love because of it's versatility. I did a post here. This short sleeve chambray top was a bit of an impulse buy, but I think I might find it equally versatile to wear when it is warmer and I don't want to wear long sleeves. It is also a darker shade than my long sleeve version. I am not crazy about the button up to the top look though....

I also would love a new summer handbag, but that one might have to wait a bit. I love this bag from JCrew.

JCrew Biennial Hobo

This bag would actually be suitable for year round use and the style is quite classic. I love the saddle color! I do have a bag of similar color which is in excellent condition but I have had that bag for probably 10 years! It is a traditional tote but the straps kill my shoulders, so I am thinking of replacing it. I want to watch this bag to see if the price might eventually come down a bit. I can get it at 30% off now, but it is still a bit much.

I also LOVE Kate Spade bags and wold love to have this little beauty!

Kate Spade Gold Coast small Maryanne

The color is perfect for summer and the quilting is so yummy! This bag is the perfect size for me too. I really don't like gigantic bags. Now if only I had some more birthday money......

I have noticed that retailers are really pushing the longer strap cross body bags. I am just not that crazy about that look and really prefer a traditional shoulder bag. I would imagine that the cross body bags would be very convenient since you can walk around with your hands-free. What are your thoughts about cross body bags? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

I hope that you have a fabulous weekend! I hope to have some more projects for you soon....

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Rug Shopping

2013-04-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday to all! How was your weekend? I am still trying to get over the cold/allergy crud but I am gradually feeling better, and I almost feel normal today. I was not too sick to shop though and convinced the hubby to do a little rug shopping. You might remember that I want to add a rug to my living room.

We started out heading to Pottery Barn but ended up at an Oriental rug store nearby first. We found some very pretty rugs, but they were all a lot more than we really wanted to spend. The hubs and I tend to like nice things, so we were definitely distracted by these rugs. The guy in the shop was really good and knew a lot about each rug and he had a story for each one. I believed the stuff about where the rug came from and whether it was antique or not, but some were made by monks and other by Bedouins and carried to market on Llamas. You get the picture. Anyway, it all sounds good, but who knows?

Here are some very bad pictures of some our favorites---all out of budget and probably never coming home with us, but it is fun to look....

This one was so pretty and one of a kind, but probably too colorful. It was also "woven by monks who shave their own sheep for the wool"
----uh huh....

I LOVED this one....

Then we went to Pottery Barn and everything looked like crap.... Just kidding! You can just see the difference after seeing the real McCoy. I am probably going to end up with my first thought which was a natural fiber rug and Pottery Barn has a nice selection of those and they are on sale until July.

We also took the kids to dinner at our favorite BBQ place. If you are ever in Orlando, it is worth dragging yourself away from tourist world down around Disney and taking a field trip up to Winter Park to eat at this restaurant. 4 Rivers Smokehouse has the best BBQ in the entire central Florida area. Like most BBQ joints, it is not fancy. There is no table service and you have to stand in a LONG line Disney style to order your food. The brisket is legendary, but honestly everything is good there. If you go, get the cheese grits because you will think you have died and gone to heaven! They are also famous for their fried pickles which I am not a fan of, but I am not a pickle person. They also have fabulous desserts and sweet treats. When we were there, I snapped a photo of this sign. I thought it is a good mantra to live our lives by.

You will see these magnets on cars around town in Orlando. They represent 4Rivers.

So, how was your weekend?

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Friday Favs from the Blogosphere

2013-04-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday to all! Are you celebrating that the weekend is almost here? We are certainly ready for it around here, although the weekends can be almost as busy at M-F. Tree pollen still has me firmly in it's grip, but I do feel a little better today. We might be getting some rain and I would be thankful if it would wash some of this nasty pollen out of the air.

For this edition of Friday Favs, I thought I would feature some of my favorite projects from around the blogosphere. I am always amazed by what other bloggers are doing and these projects are all so inspiring.
If you would like to pin these images, please click on the link below the photo and that will take you to the original source and you can pin from there.

First up is Elizabeth from the little black door blog. She is a very talented designer and I adore her blog---she is so funny! I am in love with the farmhouse kitchen that she created for a client. You should look at the before photo, but the after shown here is amazing.

little black door

Next up is Karianne from Thistlewood Farms. She is so creative and imaginative and this Bicycle Wheel Clock is totally cool. Only Karianne could turn a bike wheel, a yard stick and some chalk into a clock.

Thistlewood Farms

And then there is Jennifer from Chronicles of Home. I am new to her blog, but now it is on my daily check-in list. She reupholstered a sofa and it is awesome! Love the nailhead trim!

Chronicles of Home

Given that I am wanting to change the drapes in my living room and dining room, I was super impressed by Cassie at Hi Sugarplum!'s new dining room drapes. She lined them and even added pinch pleats! I am hoping a tutorial will be coming in the future. The ikat fabric is just perfect in the room.

Hi Sugarplum!

Hope your weekend is FABULOUS!

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Dreaming of a new rug

2013-04-11T12:33:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! First some blog news. I had been hearing about the whole thing about Google Reader going away soon and was not really sure how this would effect me since I am a newer blogger. I decided to join Bloglovin' and so you are now able to subscribe to my blog there if you would like. Signing up was a snap and they will even bring your Google Reader blogs over for you, but your blogs also stay with your Google Reader too so you can catch you favorites in either place. At least until Google Reader goes bye bye. Hope that makes sense. Here is the link to follow Pearls in Paradise via Bloglovin'.

You can also follow me in a reader of your choice if you click the RSS symbol (orange with little lines on it) or by email. You can do any of these things to follow the blog in my side bar to the right.

Now back to the post. I hope that spring is finally arriving for you. It is definitely feeling like spring in the sunshine state and we have the pollen to prove it and that pollen has got a grip on me now. So, I am feeling a little foggy today after taking a Zyrtec. It says non-drowsy on the box, but they lie!

But, I am never too foggy-brained to dream up decorating projects and I have many ideas for updates in my head. One of my wants is a new rug in my living room.

As you can see, we don't have a rug in this room now and never have. I had considered getting something for this room but wasn't sure if I wanted to cover up the original white oak parquet. Lately I am wanting to cozy things up in the room, and I think a rug would be a good start.

I have a natural fiber rug in mind if I can find the right look. I like this jute rug from Ballard Designs. I like the natural color which is the one on the bottom.

Ballard Designs braided jute rug

Here is another jute rug with potential from Rugs USA.. They have more sizes than Ballard plus they are cheaper (50% off now!!) and there is free shipping. What's not to like about that? I am not familiar with this company, but see other bloggers out there ordering from them. Anyone want to share their shopping experience?

I also like seagrass or sisal rugs. I have read that seagrass is more durable and doesn't stain as easily as sisal though, so I would probably lean towards seagrass. Here is a seagrass option from Pottery Barn.

Pottery Barn Seagrass Rug

I am also open to a patterned rug like this scroll tile rug also from Pottery Barn.

Pottery Barn Scroll Tile Rug

This rug is WAY out of budget but is gorgeous none the less. I am also considering something with more color, so this caught my eye. The colors would be gorgeous in the room. I love the blue tones in the rug because I want to introduce more blue into my house. I had grown tired of blue because our first house in Virginia had so much blue in it----blue and white kitchen, blue dining room, blue den, blue in the living room. But now, I am loving blue again. I would love to see this rug in person.

Pottery Barn Arzo Studio Hand Knotted Rug

Perhaps I can find a rug that has a similar look to the rug above, but without the $4000+ price tag. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of adding a rug with more color. Especially since I am planning on toning some other elements in the room down a bit. I want to replace the tired burgundy drapes with some dreamy creamy ones instead and I would also love to slip cover this chair and ottoman in a simple cream colored casual fabric. We purchased this many years ago when we were in Virginia. It is very good quality furniture and is also quite comfy, so I don't want to actually get rid of it, but just change it up a bit.

So, which way should I go in the rug department? Should I go natural fiber or something with color? I would love to know your thoughts as well as what you are dreaming of for your home at the moment.

Until next time....

Kathy

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.....

Featured on Elizabeth & Co.

2013-04-09T09:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much to Sharon at Elizabeth & Co. for featuring my retro media cabinet makeover today.

I am so honored to be among the other great projects chosen. Sharon has a wonderful Be Inspired link party every Tuesday, so I hope you will join in on the fun with your projects.

Thanks again, Sharon!

Until next time...

Kathy

It all started with a juice stand

2013-04-09T08:41:00.000-04:00

And so the story goes that it all started with a juice stand....

Lilly Pulitzer and daughters {source}

And then there was Jackie Kennedy sporting Lilly's look.....

source

And then women everywhere....

source

are still wearing Lilly.....

source

And I will never forget my nephew's engagement party. It was a casual outdoor party and the perfect occasion to wear Lilly. I walked in decked out in a Lilly dress only to find my sister-in-law and her sister wearing the EXACT same dress. My sister-in-law was wearing a different colorway, but her sister and I looked like twins. Of course, we laughed hysterically but were all secretly mortified. That happens a lot around here. You will go to church or to a party in a Lilly dress or outfit and see two other people in the same dress. It just goes to show what a following Lilly Pulitzer has.

So farewell, Lilly. May your fun prints party on!

Lilly Pulitzer 1931-2013
source

Until next time....

Kathy

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Friday Favs and a New Look

2013-04-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

Hi ya'll! Are you glad it is Friday? We are nearing the end of spring break for my daughter. My son's was last week and it really stinks that they don't have spring break at the same time. Anyway, we are having a group of my daughter's friends over tonight for a sleepover so it is going to be a long day (and night).

You might notice a new look on the blog. I wanted to mix it up and try something new, and I am quite proud of myself for figuring out how to make a new blog header. It is a simple header but I like the fresh new colors and simplistic design. There are some things that still need tweaking, but overall I am happy with the new look and hope you like it too.

I took last Friday off because of Good Friday and the arrival of house guests, but I thought I would continue on with what I had started the Friday before---Friday Favs.

First up is my favorite color of nail polish---Essie Ballet Slippers. This is a great color for a natural look but it is pretty and makes your nails look neat and finished. I actually use only one coat and find that it doesn't streak. Additional coats give more of an opaque look which is pretty too. You can find it at Walmart and Target.

Essie Ballet Slippers

Staying with nails, the second product that is a must have for me is Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. It keeps my cuticles from getting all raggedy and I can't go to bed until I put it on. You can find it at Walmart too.

Moving on to lips now, I am in love with this lipstick. NARS Dolce Vita is considered a cult favorite and I can see why. The color is perfect for almost any skin tone to give you that natural "your lips but better" look. It is great to put on for errands if I am not in the mood for lip gloss, but I also put gloss over to give it more pizazz. I also love the feel of this lipstick and it doesn't have that icky lipstick taste.

Nars lipstick

I also adore this dress. I bought a blue one at the last super crazy online Lilly Pulitzer sale and I was so glad that I did. There is a lot of versatility with this little t-shirt dress. I have worn it to the grocery store with flip flops and I have dressed it up a little more for a summer party. You could also use it as a swimsuit cover-up. It looks fabulous with flat sandals, ballet flats and espadrilles. Add a long chunky necklace and you are good to go. It usually comes in several colors and they also do it in cute patterns too. The best way to buy it is to wait for one of the crazy online sales. I don't think I would pay full price for it----I think I paid $34 at the last sale.

Lilly Pulitzer Cassie dress

My last fav was on television last night. Do you watch the show Scandal? OMG! That is the best show! There are so many twist and turns and just when you think you have it all figured out, the game changes. I can't figure out whether Scott Foley's (such a cutie) character is a good guy or a bad guy and I love Kerry Washington. I want to dress like her! Anyway, check it out if you haven't seen it. It comes on Thursday nights on ABC at 10 pm eastern time.

Scandal

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I hope that I survive the sleepover.....

Until next time....

Kathy

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.

Mad Men Design

2013-04-04T11:25:00.001-04:00

It is almost time for season 6 of Mad Men!!! If you are like me, you might need a refresher to remember where we left Don and the gang, so this AMC video is really good to watch. What will we find out this season? Will Don cheat on Megan? Will Megan do an encore of Doo Be Doo Be Doo? Will Pete be Pete again and not his alter ego, Don/Pete? Will Peggy come back to the firm where she belongs? Will Roger and Joan ever get together for real? These are questions we all want to know!

One of the best parts of the show for me is the home decor from that time period. Oh, and the clothes are fabulous too, but I wanted to showcase some great retro Mad Men design.

Don Draper's Living Room

source

Retro Living Room for today

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Don Draper's Dining room

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Retro Dining Room for today

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Mad Men kitchen

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Retro kitchen for today

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Don and Betty Draper's bedroom (don't you miss when they were married?)

source

Retro bedroom for today

source

So are you ready for Mad Men season 6? Are you ready to go retro in your decor? I do like a little retro vibe here and there but to go full on retro would be a stretch for me. I think that accessories are the way to go, although I recently added this little cabinet to the game room and it has a little retro vibe happening.

I love a sunburst mirror

Ballard Designs

And these lamps have a retro feel to me

Pottery Barn

Fabric patterns like chevron definitely feel retro to me

Etsy

So yes, I will take a little Mad Men style in my decor and I will also be watching the season premier this Sunday night on AMC---can't wait!

Until next time.....

Kathy

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.

Pearls in Paradise has a Feature!

2013-04-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

Good morning ya'll! I have some news to share with you. I am in the Spotlight for the Power of Paint Party over at Domestically Speaking. I want to thank Maryann for featuring my daughter's bedroom furniture makeover among other great DIY paint projects also featured today.

Please venture over to Domestically Speaking to check it out! She is having another Power of Paint Party today so be sure to link up your paint projects. Thanks again Maryann!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Kathy

Retro Media Center Makeover

2013-04-02T08:28:00.000-04:00

Hi ya'll! You know how I mentioned that we had done a few things around the house to get ready for house guests? Well, one of them was to get a new television for our game room. The kids had been playing the Wii for many years on an ancient tube TV, but we upgraded to the Wii U gaming system this past Christmas and it is better with an HD television. We had moved the game system to the family room because the set in that room is HD, but having sweaty teenage boys in my family room was getting kind of old and I wanted to move them back to their rightful place in the game room. I mean, what else are you going to do in the game room, play Monopoly? Or they could play foosball which I call the clothes drying rack for clothing that can't go in the dryer or for damp beach towels that come in from the pool. I just want to go on record as saying that I DESPISE the foosball table and it has been the source of several heated conversations between me in the hubs. If you know anyone who wants a gently used foosball table, please let me know.

Sorry, I got off track from the story.....

So, we bought the kids a new HD flat screen television and the original thought was to put it on an old cedar chest until we could find something proper for it to sit on. But if we did that, I couldn't access anything in the chest and there was no shelving to store all of the games and other paraphernalia that goes with gaming. So, we start shopping online. We didn't want to spend too much because it is a game room and furniture in that room needs to know how to take some abuse. I liked the retro look of what Ikea had to offer.

This is what I was thinking.....

via

At 4 p.m. on a Saturday, we decided to run out and look around but didn't really have time to drive to Ikea because it is on the other side of town, and well, there was a basketball game coming on. The Florida Gators finally lost--darn. But don't fret because this means I get my husband back again until football season starts!

We remembered a few thrift stores that were not too far away and still open so we decided to give it a shot. The odds were apparently in our favor because we found this little number.

Now, I must confess that you have to have a little vision to think that this could be attractive. I had already taken off the hardware to paint, but it has a modern look which you will see it in the after photo. This is the BEFORE, of course. I like the large drawer which is perfect for game storage and I like the adjustable shelves. I also like the retro look of the feet. Oh, and did I mention that it was dirt cheap?

I painted it Benjamin Moore Kiwi which I already had a pint sample of because we considered it when we painted our kitchen. It didn't make the cut for the kitchen but it looks great on a game room television console. The paint is actually much deeper in person. I couldn't seem to get the light right to accurately portray the paint color.

Upon the request of both my son and the hubs, I left the shelves unpainted. They were worried about the heat that the game consoles put out on top of the paint. I was okay with this because it made the painting go faster and I kind of like the two toned look as it turned out. The old finish is a natural maple look which goes great with the Kiwi paint.

Notice I added a book about great scientist. I am hoping it will inspire them to get off the video games and go do something worthwhile.....

So now the sweaty boys are back in the game room where they belong. This is also a jumping off point for me to do a little decorating in this room. It has always just been a chaotic playroom with a mish mash of furnishings along with various and assorted toys. But now that the kiddos are older, I would like to create a fun space for my kids and their friends to come hang out. This means more projects to come, folks!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Until next time.....

Kathy

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Decorating with Sea Shells

2013-04-01T15:24:00.000-04:00

Hi ya'll! How was your Easter weekend? We had a wonderful time with my family and the house is strangely quiet without a houseful of extra people. The weather cooperated and was beautiful so we took one day to trek over to the beach while my sister and her family were here. It was warm and sunny, and also very windy. We had some flying beach chairs and a little sand in the face here and there. But who doesn't love the feel of sand stuck to sunscreen? It was a fun day for all and it was nice to soak up some sun and breathe a little salty air. There is also the added bonus of my legs no longer looking like raw chicken. You know what I mean, I am sure. Legs just look better with a little color whether it is from the real thing or the bottled variety.

Being at the beach gets me in a summery mood and this makes me think of summer decorating. We have taken many trips to Sanibel Island for family vacations. For those of you who do not know, Sanibel Island is known as one of the top destinations in the world for sea shells.. I don't know exactly why, but the island just seems to catch all sorts of varieties of shells. Some summers are better than others but we always come back home with a good haul of new sea shells. We have never been after a big storm or hurricane, but we have heard that is the absolute best time for shelling. I find these little treasures irresistible and they are like little natural art pieces to me. We have collected buckets of them over the years and so there is the question of what to do with them all. Hence the point of this post.

Here is what you see on the beach on Sanibel Island literally just lying around. I believe these are live shells and a no no to take---plus gross and smelly to clean anyway.....

Here is a sampling of last year's haul. We boated over to Pine Island and hit the mother load. We left a lot on the beach for others to find because we had so many. My son grouped them all by species. Sorry about the messy table. This was taken in the beach condo we rented.

Too pretty to throw in a box in a closet and I am not one to glue them into figurines or to paint them unnatural colors. I love to display them au naturale in mass

On silver trays...

In bowls....

In clear glass lamps....

Yes, this lamp is completely full of shells

In vases...

It is fun to mass like species of shells together

In baskets....

And soon shells will be in this road side find. The hubs found this on top of someones trash can when he was out on his run on a recent morning. Yes, he ran home with this thing. Or maybe he walked with it, I don't know. He once dragged a discarded Little Tykes playhouse home when my daughter was small.

It reminds me of this cubby shelf from Pottery Barn. By the way they have free shipping today on pretty much everything if you ~~need~~ want anything from them. Use code FREESHIP and no, they are giving me anything to say that. Just thought I would share in case you didn't know.

via

I have been pondering what to do with it for a little while and have finally made a decision. I am going to use it for sea shell display in my son's room. He has a multitude of really beautiful shells along with other little artifacts like fossils and rocks etc., so I thought it would be the perfect place for him to show off his collection. Painting will be involved, of course, because it is not presentable in it's current condition. I am thinking navy maybe? I also want to figure out a way to stylishly label the shells in each little cubby. Anyway, the wheels are a turnin' on this project and I hope to have something to show you soon.

Do you like to decorate with sea shells? What do you do with them?

Bye for now!

Kathy

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Easter Centerpiece Ideas

2013-03-28T10:16:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Are you ready for Easter? I am getting there, but still have lots of work to do to get ready. My sis is coming to visit with her hubby and 2 boys so we have been trying to get our house guest ready. She is quite excited that we replaced the full size bed in guest room with a queen because two in a full size is never a good thing. We steam cleaned the playroom carpet (or do we call it game room now since they are older?)---Yea! And we are getting the new flat screen hooked up in that room for the kids to play games and hide away from the boring grown-ups. Not that the grown ups around here are boring---especially when cocktails are involved! We found a media console at a thrift store to use for the new TV and I will show that to you at another time. It got a spiffy paint job to make it more playroom/game room appropriate.

Aside from all the other dull cleaning going on, I am thinking of the Easter entertaining part of the weekend. We will also be having my husband's parents plus his sister along with my sis and her family. I have been perusing the web and of course Pinterest for centerpiece ideas for the table and thought I would share the possibilities.

I must confess that I am partial to this one...

The Yellow Cape Cod

Sarah Macklem of The Yellow Cape Cod blog does a great tutorial on how to create this beautiful tulip and pussy willow centerpiece that I think would be perfect for Easter. It is elegant without being too fussy. It looks super easy to put together based on the instructions too. Gotta love that!

This centerpiece is totally adorable!

source

You gotta love a centerpiece with peeps and jelly beans! The pink tulips look so fresh with the colors of the candy.

source

Okay, this one is too cute and looks so easy and inexpensive to put together. It appears that you just need a bunch of carrots, some daisies, a pretty vase and some ribbon and you are good to go!

Martha Stewart

This gorgeous lilac centerpiece really makes a statement. I love the contrast between the purple flowers and the bright white vase. Definitely says springtime!

So there you have some of my choices. Which one do you like? What are your plans for Easter? For more ideas for Easter tables, see this post.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful weekend full of faith, family and fun!

Until next time.....

Kathy

Bedroom Furniture Reveal

2013-03-26T14:20:00.003-04:00

Happy Tuesday! How is your week going so far? I am busy getting ready for Easter weekend visitors so there has been lots of cleaning and sprucing up going on around here. My daughter's room is still a work in progress, but I thought I would go ahead and show you all of her furniture now that it is all painted. I had given you a little tease here and showed you the plans for the room here. I used Benjamin Moore Advance Paint in White Dove to paint the bed, dresser, mirror and night stand.

Here is the bed, although it is hard to see the headboard because the mattress comes up so high. The artwork above the bed will eventually be moved elsewhere because I have an idea for a grouping of photographs. The art was one of my super bargains that I found when I was in a little boutique many years ago. I saw this painting and thought it was perfect for the little girl room version of this room. Then I realized it was marked $9! The frame was worth more than that! It is not a masterpiece or anything but it was pretty good for where it was going. The pinks are a little more orange-y than I would like for this room so it needs a new home.

Here is the completed dresser and mirror. You might remember that the furniture belonged to my grandparents and was purchased in the 1940's. The finish had a creamy tobacco stained patina with gilt trim and edges. My daughter was just sort of over that look since it screamed antique. Now it is fresh and bright and new looking. The lamp on the dresser was also my grandmother's and I questioned whether it still looked good in the room, but my daughter wants to keep it so, oh well.... The angel over the mirror was a shower gift from a friend before she was born and she wants to keep that too.

This is the night stand. Pretty cute, huh? The basket is an attempt to corral and hide wires for various and assorted chargers.

This desk is not part of the set and we purchased it new a few years ago. I think it goes well with the current look. If only she would use it though! She ends up doing homework on her bed! I am planning to paint the chair eventually. The bulletin board is usually filled, but I thought I would spare you that eye sore and clear it off for the photo.

Here is another view of the room for you. Sorry about the dangling ball from the center of the room. What the heck is that, you say?? It is tied to a string that is tied to the ceiling fan so my daughter can reach it. Although I am not sure she needs it so low now since she is almost as tall as I am. Anyway, you get to see more of the bed in this photo. I found the adorable adjustable lamp at Home Goods.

So there you have it so far! It still needs some tweaking and accessorizing to make it more teenage friendly for a 13 year old and beyond. I think it is a fitting room to show around Easter time because of the colors. I hope you will come back when it is truly completed!

Until next time......

Kathy

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Talkin' About Thursday

Paper Clutter Buster

2013-03-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope that your weekend was a good one! We have been busy beavers around here and there is nothing like having house guests to get us motivated to fix a few things up around the house. One of my little projects has been to tackle the paper clutter than ends up on my desk in the kitchen. I have had this little number on my desk for years.

Now you see these in the Pottery Barn catalog and they make work look like fun because everything is so pretty and organized. But this is real life, people! As you can see, I have been subscribing to the Stuff and Go method of organization.

And then there is The Pile.....

Actually, this pile is pretty tame. I needed a system to manage all the papers that come into the house.

Enter these cute file folders from Target....

I love the pattern and the colors look great in my kitchen. There are 12 of them in the package but I am using 6 folders at the moment. It will be nice to have the back-up in case I want to add a category later. I labeled one folder for myself and then for each of my kids. I didn't do one for the hubby because he has his own system in another desk. I also created one for To Do's, Receipts, and Coupons. When we get bills, they go in my husband's desk drawer to be paid during two bill paying sessions per month. Anyway, I didn't need one for bills since we already have that system in place and it is working well.

I emptied everything out of the little caddy....

Then I sorted everything from the caddy and The Pile. There was a lot of paper, receipts etc. that simply got tossed in the trash. I still had old receipts that I was saving for Christmas just in case someone didn't like a gift. No returns though! Yea!

The folders fit nicely in the caddy and they are easy to get to.

Then I added pens, pencils, markers, scissors, etc. to the little compartments in the front and the back section of the caddy contains note pads.

The Pile is much smaller now and mostly contains a few catalogs and a few other papers that I need to handle. So the idea is that things get sorted almost immediately with this system, and I would say that it has been working well for me so far.

Now my desk is clean and tidy....

We also have a master file cabinet in our office/guest room that holds all important papers, plus I also have a file drawer in this desk to keep school papers and other household related papers.

It could use a good sorting too, but is really not that bad because I can usually find what I need quickly.

I would love to know how you handle paper clutter and stay organized!

Until next time.....

Kathy

Sharing with the following awesome blogs:

Thrifty Decor Chick It's the Little Things link party

Friday Favs

2013-03-22T10:17:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! There is a lot going on around here with Easter coming and spring break. My sis and her family are coming to stay with us for Easter weekend so I am busy prepping for their visit. Our guest room has been ~~a nightmare~~ less than stellar for more than one person, so we are making a few updates in that room so that they will be more comfortable. We have always had a leftover double bed in that room which has not been so hot to sleep on for a couple. So we decided that we were overdue to switch to a queen size bed in there. It arrived a couple of days ago and now I am shopping for bedding etc. I have ~~ADD~~ too many irons in the fire at the moment with that room and their visit plus I am still working on my daughter's new room, AND we bought the kids a new flat screen TV for the playroom for gaming etc. The new TV is prompting a new room arrangement and I am hoping a little more updating down the road for this tired eye sore of a room. I am also working on a new organization system for my kitchen desk and will show you that next week.

Anyway, with so many unfinished projects going on at once, I thought I would take a break and show you some of my favorite things right now. Who knows? Maybe this will become a regular post on my blog. So here it goes--- my latest favorites.......

I love, love, love this chamomile tea! Did I tell you that I loved it?? There is no better way for me to unwind at night and it has sort of become a little ritual now. The hint of citrus makes it so yummy and the bonus is that this tea definitely makes me SLEEPY!

I am addicted to this Burt's Bees Honey lip balm. I love the way it smells and it doesn't taste weird or have any icky unnatural ingredients. It makes my lips feel nice and moisturized. I don't know if is my age or what, but I am finding that my skin, hair etc. are getting dryer. Anyone else with that problem?? Anyway, I buy the stuff here.

I am also addicted to toning my face with witch hazel after I wash it. It just seems to get anything off my face that my cleanser might have missed plus it also removes leftover cleanser residue leaving my face feeling super clean and soft. I must confess that the smell is a little off, but you get used to it after a while and it dissipates. I have used other toners before but I think most have witch hazel and alcohol in them as well but they mask the odor with a more pleasant smelling ingredient. But this is dirt cheap and does the same thing! You can get it here.

Another lip product that I am obsessing over is Clinque Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. This is the best lip gloss! It is not so sticky that my hair gets stuck in it. Don't you hate it when that happens? It has just enough shine and is so moisturizing! My favorite color is raspberry which looks a little frightening in the tube but actually gives your lips a "your lips but better" look. I wear it alone daily or put it over lipstick if I want more color. You can get it at Sephora or most department stores.

Stella and Dot

I do not have one of these, but it is on my WANTED List. I want a Stella and Dot charm necklace with my initial and other charms that would have personal meaning to me. Preferably in silver and also the longer chain size. I love jewelry that becomes more of a signature. I have a beautiful Pandora bracelet with lots of random charms and I wear it all the time and get tons of complements on it. Now I need a necklace too!

Well, that does it for me! I am off to shop for sheets. I hope that you all have a wonderful Palm Sunday weekend!

Until next time....

Kathy

P.S. These are my opinions only and I didn't receive anything from anyone to write this post. But if anyone wants to send me something to review, I would be more than happy to oblige----tee hee!

When Old is New Again

2013-03-19T16:32:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful day! It is gorgeous down here in Florida and I am getting back into a warm weather mode. I love coastal style and I am seeing lots of it for spring and summer in home accessories and decor. This brings me to the heart of this post.....

Don't you love it when something that you have that you sort of thought was old and ratty becomes a design trend? We have a lamp that used to be my husband's and I have no idea how old it is because it pre-dates me and we have been together 21 years now. It might even be from his childhood. I am using it in my son's room because he has a nautical theme going on in there and it works well in the room. It looks sort of like this one.

William Sonoma Home Rope Table Lamp

The WS Home version is kind of pricey so here is another one from Pottery Barn.

Pottery Barn Rope Knot Table Lamp

West Elm had a version of this lamp too, but it has sold out. Rope lamps must be a hot commodity so I am glad that I have one too.

Now I suppose our lamp is more of a jute cord which is much smaller than the heavier rope lamps above, but the look is similar. It still has a nautical feel and look to it. I have debated donating it to the Goodwill but I always decide that I want to keep it because you just never know.... And now it is in style! Or at least I think it is.....

So the lesson of the day is, don't throw anything out because chances are that one day you will own a trendy item and yours will be better because it is vintage. (Vintage sounds better than old and ratty....)

Enjoy the rest of your day! Until next time.....

Kathy

P.S. I didn't receive any compensation or products to write this post.

Inspiration Board for Teen Girl's Room

2013-03-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope that a fun time was had by all on St. Patrick's Day! We had a very nice and relaxing weekend here and the weather was gorgeous! I think that spring has finally arrived and going to stick around. At least that is what I am hoping....

I am pleased to show you my first ever inspiration board! I did this one using Picasa, and hope to get better at it and eventually use other software programs to create these boards. This one is for my daughter's room which I am working on at the moment. I have been busy painting furniture etc. and I am now ready to move on to the fun parts of accessorizing.

The main colors of the room are bright pink and mint green. The wall color has been around since my daughter was a baby and was initially chosen because it coordinated with nursery bedding and decor. When she was ready for her big girl room, we kept the color and bought bedding etc. to once again coordinate with the paint color. Flash forward to 2013 and the color is still current and classic and looks pretty fresh, so we are going to leave the walls as they are once again. The color is Glidden Willow Branch.

The bedding is PB Teen Punchy Paisley in Bright Pink. My daughter picked it out and it pops with the mint green walls.
Drapes are Pottery Barn Cameron drapes in ivory. I tend to be boring with window treatments and love the simplicity of creamy drapes that just frame the view outside.
The bulletin board covered in pink and white striped fabric has been around for a while but is still useful. It was purchased here many years ago.
I want to do a photo grouping using white or cream frames. They will be hung over the bed in a grid pattern with 4-6 photographs. I do love these frames. They are good quality for the price.
This is an inspiration picture for the photographs to go over the bed. The hubby is a pretty good amateur nature and wildlife photographer and I will have him take photographs of different brightly colored flowers to be framed for over the bed.
I like the look of this lamp and love that it is adjustable and should be perfect for reading in bed.

I hope you will come back for more! To see some of the progress with this room, click here.

Until next time....

Kathy

Green with Envy

2013-03-14T10:32:00.000-04:00

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching and that gets me thinking about the color green. Green is definitely one of my favorites. It is so fresh and natural and also energetic. So here is a little green inspiration to energize your day.

via Apartment Therapy

via www.martiniandmilk.com

via Decoist

via House Beautiful

I really, really want this mixer!!

KitchenAid

And this clock too!

via Amazon.com

I also LOVE this idea! Outdoor pillows with your house number! You might remember that I have a thing for house numbers.......

via Etsy

I also love a good awning stripe! Can someone please tell me who decided that our pillows must all be karate chopped??? I know this is a designer thing and I do it too, but why do we do it exactly?? Just askin'.....

via Houzz

I know it is a few days early, but HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY everybody!! If you want more St. Patrick's Day inspiration, click here.

Until next time......

Kathy

Bedroom Furniture Sneak Peak & Painter's Tape Substitute

2013-03-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Before I took the dreaded full time job last fall, I started working on a project. And that project is STILL going on. I just haven't had the time to knock it out, but now can see the light at the end of the DIY tunnel. My daughter has been begging me to paint her bedroom furniture for quite some time now. I have resisted for the following reasons:

A). It is my grandmother's antique furniture

B). I liked it the way it was (sort of)

C). I am lazy and the thought of painting it all made me dizzy

I finally caved mainly because the new bedding I got her for her 13th birthday didn't look that great with the furniture. PB Teen bedding that looks like this......

PB Teen Punchy Paisley (bright pink no longer available)

.....does not look that great with mint green walls and furniture that looks like this....

Please note that this is not our actual dresser but the look is very similar. Unfortunately, I didn't take any before photos and I can not find any photos of the furniture anywhere! Luckily, there is still one piece of it left at my 96 year old grandmother's house. Anway, I hope you get the idea. The furniture is actually very good quality. I am not sure what the wood is but the grain on the inside of the drawers sort of looks like cherry. It is all very thick and heavy with dove-tailed drawers etc. It was the first set of bedroom furniture that my grandparents owned and they actually had it custom made. Our hardware is much more elaborate than what is on this piece above, but it was a tobacco stained creamy color with all the gilt edges. I had wanted to do a Hollywood Glam kind of look with it, but my daughter wanted the PB Teen look, because, well.....she is 13. I must confess that I like the furniture better painted too......

Here is a sneak peak!

I am currently working on the mirror. It has intricate and ornate wood trim that requires a small paint brush to get into all the nooks and crannies.

When I was getting all set up to get this latest paint party started, I realized that we did not have any painter's tape in the house. Drat!! We tend to paint on the wild side around here and throw caution to the wind with our edges. But I really did not want to scrape paint off of old mirror, so covering it really was a necessity in this case. So, I came up with this solution that actually might be better for painting a mirror anyway. I took pieces of wax paper and carefully slid it under the edges of the mirror and secured it with masking tape. Then, when it is all done, we just take away the paper and there shouldn't be any bleed through. Pretty resourceful, huh?

I am using Benjamin Moore Advance paint in White Dove and I must say that the paint is absolutely the best for painting furniture, cabinetry and trim. It is water based but the finish is more like oil and I must say that I now understand what leveling means. This paint is awesome at leveling and leaves a super smooth finish. I did prime everything with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer first. I didn't sand first because, well, as I said above, I am lazy....

If you are wondering about the hardware, here is the scoop on that. This is the original hardware but I also painted it with the same paint (same primer too). It originally had the gilt look as well and just looked too heavy on the creamy white furniture. I had contemplated buying new hardware, but discovered that the holes were drilled at different intervals than what is common today, so I would have had to go custom---not an option. Anyway, painting it the same color for a tone on tone look was the way to go and I must say that I adore it this way. The hardware is so ornate and having it be the same color softened the whole look but you still get to appreciate all the intricacies of each pull. I couldn't have done any better if I had bought something new.

So that is where we are so far. I still want to paint a desk chair a funky bright color and do something fun and more colorful with a bookcase, so there will be more pretties to look at with this project, and then of course there must be a big reveal once her room is completely done!

I just have to tell myself to keep on painting, keep on painting.......

What projects are you working on these days?

Until next time.......

Kathy

Sharing with:
Monday Funday via A View Along the Way blog et al AND Spring Fling Linky Party via Thistlewood Farm blog et al.....

Chambray Me

2013-03-12T08:41:00.001-04:00

I am relatively late to the chambray party. I think the soft, blue, broken in, denim-like fabric has been in for several seasons now, but I am just now catching on. I finally took the chambray bait and bought a shirt for myself. It is such a cute and versatile addition to my closet, and I have found it goes with so many things! A true wardrobe work horse.

It can be a little tricky to find just the right chambray shirt. It has to be the right color-- not too muddy or dark. It has to be the right weight and softness---broken in and cottony and not too heavy or thick. And of course, it must be the right fit. I prefer a more feminine cut and fit as opposed to boyfriend styling, which tends to be a little big and boxy.

Here were the contenders:

JCrew Keeper shirt

JCrew Factory Classic Chambray shirt

Banana Republic Denim shirt

Gap 1969 two-pocket shirt

I am a bit of a JCrew-aholic these days, so I really thought that I was going to wait for an email with a discount and splurge on the JCrew Keeper shirt. This one definitely checks all the boxes for my chambray shirt requirements, but in the meantime, I decided to look around a little bit more. The hubs and I were on our way out of town last weekend and stopped by the outlet mall. I visited the JCrew Factory store while we were there and found the Factory version of the Keeper chambray to be quite acceptable as well. Still not ready to take the plunge, I decided to wait.

Then this past week I received a 30% off coupon for Banana Republic cardholders which could be used at all of their stores. So, the online search began for the chambray shirt A La Gap brands. I was intrigued by the Gap 1969 two pocket shirt as well as the Banana Republic denim shirt, so off I go to the mall with coupon in hand. Gap was first on the list and I was thrilled to find the shirt I wanted in the XS size that I needed. I also tried on a small but found that the shoulders hung off a bit and it was just a little too boxy and big for my liking. The XS was almost perfect and had all of the qualities that I need out of my chambray work horse shirt. My only gripe was that the sleeves were a touch too narrow and rolling past the elbow would be difficult. With my 30% off coupon PLUS I also had $20 in rewards, I decided that this chambray baby would be mine. I paid only $15 and change! What a ~~steal~~ deal!! I never even made it down to Banana Republic. I was short on time and what was the point anyway when I had found my true chambray love??

So, do you want to see it? I do want to incorporate some IRL reviews on my blog now, so here we go. I decided to pair it with my new white skinny jeans which has been another must have that I was searching for.

Gap 1969 2 pocket shirt

Sorry about the photo quality. Taking photos of myself in a mirror is more challenging than I thought. The shirt looks a little short in the photo, but it is pulling up a bit with my arms. It is plenty long to tuck in to my pants.. I didn't want a big boyfriend shirt look. I want to wear this shirt with shorts and I think a more fitted shirt is better for that kind of a look.

Not sure how I feel about all the buttons on the sleeve.....

I like the top with the white skinny jeans, but will be really excited to wear it with shorts. I also have a khaki skirt that it looks great with. The lighter color of the chambray also works with dark denim, but maybe that is too much denim to wear at once??

Well, I think that about does it for this post. Do you have any favorite chambray pieces??

Since I mentioned JCrew, I received an email from Ebates this morning that JCrew is double cash back at the moment, so you get 6% back! JCrew has a 30% off all final sale items with code GOODNEWS. If you don't have ebates yet, you can sign up here!

Happy Spring shopping!

Until next time.....

Kathy

Pearls in Paradise is Back!!

2013-03-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Long time, no blog everyone! I think my last post was last summer and I am so excited to get back to blogging. I got so busy with working, kids, life etc,. that I just couldn't seem to find the time to be creative. I was working part time most of the time but then took a full time position in the fall at a company that I used to work for a few years ago. I thought that I would adjust to full time hours, but I just couldn't hack it and neither could my family. So, I resigned from that position last month and then luckily was hired back in the company where I was working part time before, only now in a different position. Confused yet? The bottom line is that I am working part time in a completely flexible situation and I sometimes even work from home. I take off when I want and it seems to be working out fine. With all that flexibility, I now have time to write and blog and be creative too!

With that being said, I want to tell all you full time working mothers out there how in awe I am of you! Managing kids, husband, house maintenance, cooking, shopping, errands, carpools, volunteering and everything else is difficult enough alone, but adding a 40 or so hour a week job to the mix is just plain hard. It beat me down, I tell you. Christmas was totally awful this past year. I felt so bad, because it was all I could do to make sure the house was somewhat decorated and that there were gifts under the tree. I wanted to bake and decorate more and do all the little extra things that make Christmas special, but the time and energy was simply not there. Anyway, the hubs and I just decided that working part time was fine, but full time in our case was just not worth it for our family.

My kids are happier knowing I am around even though they need me far less than they used to. I am starting to get back into some home decorating projects. I am currently finishing up painting my daughter's bedroom furniture and will share more about that once it is done. I have lots of other ideas for projects swirling in my brain to keep this little blog hoppin'!

And, because I love clothes and being creative with fashion as well, there will be some posts about that topic, along with other random ideas that pop in to my head. Oh, and let's not forget about food. I am continuing on my quest to eat and feed my family healthy meals and treats whether they like it or not! My husband feels like I am starving him if there is not "meat" at every meal! It tell him that some day he will thank me.

So that is the plan. I know this was a totally boring post, but it is a good re-entry to blog land for me! And bear with me as I get my blog legs back. Thank goodness I created a blog notebook! Stay tuned for more!

Until next time (really, I mean it!)....

Kathy

Lightning Fast Pasta

2012-06-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Need dinner in a hurry? I am in that boat a lot these days. I was at a total loss last night around dinner time because I literally had nothing planned. I almost made the old stand-by breakfast for dinner with scrambled eggs etc, but that just didn't feel right. I turned to my pasta stash and went from there. I whipped up this dish and it was pretty darn tasty and healthy too, which was a bonus. This is a cinch to make because it uses ingredients that most of us keep in our pantries. Here is the recipe in case you are ever at a complete loss when someone asks "what's for dinner?".

Pasta with Broccoli and Tomatoes

1 box whole grain pasta of your choice -- I used Barilla Plus Penne pasta
Frozen broccoli florets (about 2 cups give or take)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and ground pepper to taste ( I used kosher salt)
grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, boil water to cook pasta. Add your pasta and cook until al dente, but about 4 minutes prior to the pasta being done, add the frozen broccoli florets. Meanwhile, open your can of tomatoes and add a small amount of the liquid to a small sauce pan. Heat it up a little and then add your minced garlic and cook until browned a bit. Add the rest of the canned tomatoes with liquid, plus the basil, salt and pepper and then simmer. Once your pasta and broccoli are done, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the tomato mixture over the pasta then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve!

Honestly, this recipe took about 15 minutes to prepare. It was tasty, filling and best of all, healthy. I love using the whole grain pasta because it is higher in protein than regular pasta so I don't feel like we are missing anything because this is a meatless dish. If you don't have whole grain pasta on hand, regular pasta will also work just fine.

Bon appetit!

Kathy