Summer Cocktails

For a twist on the traditional mint julep, try this blackberry mint julep (courtesy of Martha Stewart, of course!) You'll need:

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 pint blackberries
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup bourbon
4 cups small ice cubes
4 sprigs of mint for garnish

Chop the mint leaves then puree the mint, blackberries and sugar in a blender. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl, discard seeds.
Return puree to blender and add the bourbon and ice; blend until smooth. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy!

Sweet dreams

Since we'll need more bedroom furniture for our new house, I've been thinking it may be time for us to upgrade to a king-sized bed. (Plus I really want a Golden Retriever so 2 adults + Pug + Golden = we need a bigger bed!) Some bedroom pieces and design that I really like....

The Stratford Mahogany Sleigh Bed from Charles P Rogers. CPR has beautiful, if somewhat pricey beds, and they also have gorgeous bedding that is more reasonably priced and often on sale. I have a red linen duvet and shams that I bought several years ago. They been moved more times that I care to count and have been washed several times and still look vibrant so it's worth the money.

The Marston Sleigh bed from Restoration Hardware is similar and it's on sale right now.

This upholstered bed from Restoration Hardware is nice too - it looks so cozy!

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!