out.of.doors

Finally, it's that magic time of year. I spend all my waking hours thinking, dreaming, planning, of being outside and I make it happen as often as possible. Walking the puppy outside, yoga outside, running outside, riding my bike to the store, strolling through the farmer's market, picnicking, drinking coffee on the front steps, those things are the centerpieces of all the plans I'd like to make for the coming months. Just dear God, please don't let it rain... : )

spring.cleaning

(try to ignore the xBox controllers...)

Last weekend I went a little (okay maybe a lot) crazy cleaning our house and making it feel fresh and new. On a serious budget. I already had all my cleaning supplies, so no big cost there, but I was determined to get some pictures & flowers on these walls & tables, and maybe a few new bright accents here and there. So off I went to Goodwill. I scoured the home section for baskets, throw pillows, and flower vases and pretty much made out like a bandit, and then went to Trader Joe's to buy the cheapest/best flowers they had - daffodils & daisies cost close to nothing this time of year! After divvying up my finds all over and ordering some digital pics printed polaroid-style, our place felt sort of "new" all over again. Here are some pics I took of the small changes.

insta.weekend

I had a super successful weekend that started with happy hour mojitos & tapas Friday and ended with way too much dancing (and maybe a few too many drinks) at Big Bang piano bar Saturday night. Then we headed to brunch Sunday morning at Rooster to squash our hangovers with crepes & Bloody Marys. It was such a perfect, no drama weekend and we definitely enjoyed our early summer weather as much as we could.

outfit: dress-tobi, shoes-sam edelman, necklace-by my friend monse, her etsy shop HERE.

things.im.loving

striped straws, little buds in glass bottles everywhere, the hunger games (out next week!), arm parties, simple breakfasts and magazines to kick off my day in an inspired way, and anything with hearts

me and spring, we get along very well

favorite.pinners

I've been on Pinterest since it first started, thanks to a recommendation by a blogger I follow who got in when it started, and it's always been awesome ever since it launched. When it first started, they mostly invited bloggers & graphic designers, so the "Everything" page was where it was at! You could sort through millions of creative images and links for hours. Nowadays, there are so many people on Pinterest.....meaning that the "Everything" page is pretty much flooded with not-so-tasteful images, dead links, and frankly sometimes some pretty obnoxious stuff. So the key to keeping Pinterest great is finding the right people to follow.

Below, I included my top ten pinners (in the home design/cooking/fashion categories). They'll keep your Pinterest homepage covered with inspiring images ALWAYS.

Check them out!

1. Bri Emery HERE

Bri is a graphic designer with her own blog "Design Love Fest" and she has a fantastic eye. What she pins really runs the gamut, but she never fails to keep it colorful!

2. Kate @ Wit & Delight HERE

Of the very popular tumblr blog, Kate posts everything from yummy cocktail recipes to awesome shoe finds and pattern vectors. She's got an upscale eye, but you'd be surprised at how often the picture of the darling dress you want leads to an affordable site!

3. Christine Martinez HERE

I found Christine through another "best pinners" list, and I'm willing to bet she makes a lot of those! She finds awesome typography quotes, vacation ideas, and doggie accessories.

4. sfgirlbybay* HERE

Of the very famous blog, sfgirlbybay pins LOTS of fabulous airy looking home decor.

5. Jeanne of Shop Sweet Things HERE

Jeanne isn't the most followed lady on Pinterest right now but I think she well may be soon! She has whole boards dedicated to hearts, stripes, and tea. A girl after my own heart.

6. vegansaurus HERE

Even if you're not vegan, they post some YUMMY food!

7. kate spade HERE

Not surprisingly, kate spade and company's pins are awesome! They will flood your homepage with color & pattern.

8. sarah mattmiller HERE

One of the freelance designers I work with at my job, she has a SERIOUS eye for good design! Expect lots of amazing typography and a few incredible recipes & travel destinations.

9. refinery 29 HERE

My new favorite daily read is now one of my favorite pinners!

10. Lisa Derus HERE

Just a friend of mine who has excellent taste and a serious addiction to Pinterest - she had the skills to parlay it into a career: as a PR girl she sometimes pins for a living! On her personal Pinterest: boards dedicated to just maps, stripes, chevron, sparkle, nails, glasses, dots, and chambray.

the.greatest.find

So I am a Pinterest addict - seriously, follow me to the left and I will bombard your main page with awesomeness all day long. Promise. Maybe my favorite thing I have found on there is the website tobi.com. They stock their online store with the cutest, most unique and wearable dresses out there - less ubiquitous than forever 21, but basically just as affordable. One of my other favorite things is that a lot of their dresses come with a belt! All three of the ones pictured above came with. These are some picks of the dresses I've acquired there for spring - it's hard to believe that with these four I barely crossed the $100 mark!

all.things.girly

insta.outfits.03/10

I wore this to a wine bar with friends Friday night:

h&m tiered red dress, zara sandals, necklace from a boutique in st louis francesca's

and this to run to Whole Foods, the bank, and pick up dry cleaning on a very lazy Saturday.

(old navy jacket, gap neon chain necklace and white jeans, forever21 neon knit, dolce vita grey oxfords with neon pink soles)

I'm kinda getting into this Insta-grammed outfit thing! I don't have much of a photographer anymore, and no place great to shoot (unless we went out for just that purpose, and I am not a blogger for a living obviously). It's just so convenient!

insta.outfit

denim button down - banana republic, floral pants - h&m, pointy toe pumps - steve madden

come.on.get.happy

I am having some trouble getting happy this morning due to a very awful no good scary nightmare of a dream that I can't shake off. I think the solutions are:

a) coffee

b) a manicure with essie geranium

c) fresh flowers

d) a long run later this afternoon

e) soup & salad @ panera for lunch

What are your simple "get happy" fixes?

spring.moodboard