Happy Birthday Jackson!!!

Jackson turns 3 years old today, which is like 18 in dog years. I can't believe he used to be this tiny (sorry the picture is so small, I have no idea how to fix that!)

Happy Birthday Jackson! You may be getting a nice big carrot tonight to celebrate ;)

4 quick years....

Four years ago today, we were saying our vows...

And celebrating with family and friends here

We both freely admit to dealing with our fair share of challenges these past four years, including the recent tree drama, but those challenges have definitely brought us closer and made our relationship stronger. I can't imagine a better man to spend the rest of my life with! Happy Anniversary to us!!

I just wanted to share a picture of the gorgeous peonies I bought the other day at Trader Joe's.

For $7.99 I'm very impressed! I hope everyone is enjoying an amazing summer weekend!

Classic Blue & White

This month's Traditional Home magazine provided some great eye candy for those of us who love blue and white. Here are a few of my favorite looks that I hope to incorporate into our new home!

Blue and white seems so fitting for outdoor spaces like the 3 above.

I love the look of plates hanging on the wall. I know some people think this is weird but my mom always did it so it seems totally normal to me.

We're planning to keep the traditional formal style in the front of our house and then make the back a bit more modern and open like this lovely open kitchen, dining area and family room. The crisp contrast between all the white and pops of blue really opens up the space even more.

That last one isn't from Traditional Home, it's Ralph Lauren's Palm Harbor collection.

Dream Design - bathrooms

Ok, ok, so I'm far from a perfect blogger and fell off track with design Fridays last week! But I'm back with some beautiful ideas. We're meeting with our architect next week to go over her first round of ideas for the house - maybe we can incorporate some of these!

I love this vintage-y freestanding tub. Since our house was originally built around 1920, we're trying to go with a slightly vintage, but updated, look. I think this tub fits the bill! Plus I love the built-in shelves on either side of the tub.

This tile is just beautiful - but maybe a tad too modern?

This bathroom has really interesting tile with a woven patten. I also really like how the vanity looks almost like a piece of furniture.

A steam shower like this one is definitely on the wish list!
Ahhh, this looks like a spa! Having this in your house could be dangerous - it would be so hard to leave!

Happy Thursday!

I just love these short work weeks after a holiday. Every week should be a 4 day work week in my opinion!

I picked up our second load of veggies the other day. Here they are on the counter, aren't they beautiful and delicious looking?

Thanks to the CSA, I've recently discovered a love for fresh dill. I threw some on top of a salad the other night and last night made a pesto-ish sauce with dill rather than basil and used it to top a chicken breast. Delish - so fresh and summery!

Dream Design Friday

**In an attempt to a) bring some structure to my blog, b) blog more frequently, and c) keep home renovation talk from dominating, I'll be introducing a few theme days. Friday will be 'Dream Design Fridays' since I've got a pretty big renovation project underway! Please feel free to share ideas and pictures - I'm not the most creative person in the world so I'd love any and all input. Thanks!**

Some dream kitchens that I'm loving right now...

I love the white marble counter tops and the glass front cabinets. But is this too much white?
Beautiful tile back splash and that stove/oven is amazing!

Love the furniture-like details of these cabinets...

Another white on white design and the back splash over the range is pressed tin ceiling tiles - I love the bit of antique charm that adds to this sleek kitchen.

Another white marble and glass-front cabinet combo. (All pictures courtesy of Traditional Home.com)