{ cool blue }

It's hot outside...and inside too. I love it (the outside hot), but not the inside hot when the house feels like a furnace. It was all I could do today to keep from going up on the roof by myself to hook up the swamp coolers (dang swamp coolers anyway). Luckily Scott and Mike took on the after-work job of risking life and limb to get the two up and running. When the cool air started to flow through the house, I celebrated by hopping on the internet to look at some favorite decorating sights. The cyan blue photos on the Layla Grayce blog caught my eye - blue's the perfect color for cooling a hot room during July and August.

Credits: Interior Design by Bear-Hill Interiors as featured in: At Home in Arkansas Photos: Nancy Nolan

Credits: Interior Design by Bear-Hill Interiors as featured in: At Home in Arkansas

Credits: Interior Design by Bear-Hill Interiors as featured in: At Home in Arkansas

Credits: Interior Design by Bear-Hill Interiors as featured in: At Home in Arkansas

Clockwise from upper left: Currey and Company Serena Chandelier, Big Sur Limed Oak Media Cabinet, Arteriors Aqua Cased Glass Paulette Lamp, DL Rhein Circle Link Embroidered Pillow, Layla Grayce Colorado Chair slipcovered in custom fabric, Thomas Paul Damask Powder Cream Wool Rug, Oly Studio Yves Cocktail Table, Layla Grayce Berkshire Chair customized with blue twill tape and nailhead trim

Clockwise from upper left: Imperial Trellis Soft Aqua Wallpaper, Oly Studio Klemm Mirror, Oly Studio Pipa Bowl Chandelier, Bungalow 5 Valentina Console, Thomas Paul Aqua Orinthology Pillow, Oly Studio Jacob Sofa in enamel white with bronze leather upholstery, Arteriors Naomi Aqua Fluted Glass/Acrylic Lamp

Clockwise from upper left: Wall color shown in photo, Sherwin Williams SW6765 Spa, Venus Pendant Light in Natural, Venus Pendant Light in Turquoise, Sky Blue Ceramic Stools (coming soon), Flora Turquoise Embroidered Pillow, DL Rhein Stained Glass Embroidered Pillow, DL Rhein Cross Hatch Chocolate Embroidered Pillow, Tara Shaw Maison Shelter Sofa in Belgian Linen with Pillows

{1} Amy Butler Lily Ocean Wallpaper from Layla Grayce {2}Kendra Scott Jeanine Earrings {3} Perfect Pieces Blue Plate {4} Flowers {5} Chair {6}Ruffled Cake Stand

~~ruffle heaven ~~

It started with a virtual shopping trip to the Anthropologie website to search for a notebook to write some little notes and such. I wanted a pretty notebook - so I thought of Anthropologie - the purveyor of pretty things. While searching for my notebook (nothing in that department - boring, uninspiring), I got sucked in by another joy ... RUFFLES. Everywhere ruffles. I've always loved ruffles, though if I look around my house or closet I see almost none. I once bought a skirt with loads of ruffles, but it was very unflattering. Since I like and want ruffles (what is it about them that feels almost springlike?), I decided I could settle on a ruffled tablecloth or sheets. Fun, huh?

it's all in the presentation

Etsy * is a fascinating place on the internet that I try to avoid because I can lose track of hours and hours of time and sometimes sleep just wandering (virtually) from shop to shop to shop. To me, it's wayyyy more appealing than YouTube or Ebay. On Etsy, there are little virtual shops with quilts, jewelry, art, cards, well, you name it. And it's all hand crafted, hand assembled, or vintage.

I ran across this Etsy shop through a Twitter post from Georgana. Notice the Etsy shop's cute graphics and the charming presentation of her items (and sweet name - Paper Cakes). The owner has an equally delightful blog called Paper Cakes Finds.

EDIT - this is funny - the shop owner closed her shop, literally, while I was typing this post. I'm serious - when I made the link the shop was up, when I tested the link, it was closed. Oh well, check out her blog and look at the photo below.

Back to my point...the ribbon and lace she is selling is pretty, but what impressed me is the pink tag that the product is wrapped on, the pink hat pin tucked into the rick rack, the little heart embellishment, and the old-fashioned doily in the photo. You can tell she "takes care" - and I like that.

Description of item: Handmade gift tag with ribbon and trim. Each measures 1 yard or less. Embroidery floss, white satin ribbon, pink ric rac, striped grosgrain ribbon, and vintage grey/white lace.


* From Wikipedia: Etsy is a social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. These items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks and toys. Many individuals also sell craft supplies like beads, wire, jewelry making tools and much more. The vintage items on the site have only one rule to follow: they must be 20 years or older. These items range from old boots and ice skates, to dresses, hats and scarves. The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a fee of $.20. It has been compared to "a crafty cross between Amazon and ebay"and to "your grandma's basement."

{ juSt wRiTe }

Something about the beginning of a new season always makes me want to write. And wanting to write leads me down a distracted path of trying to find the perfect NEW book to write in.

The best online place to shop for BEAUTIFUL journals is Anthropologie. As usual, they have a great variety of blank books. Just looking at the cover of this springlike pink journal makes me want to take it on a long walk.

Even better than a long walk would be a long trip (which I'm actually going to be taking in a week). This journal looks perfect for recording end-of-day remembrances - much more appealing than typing those memories on a computer.

If I were planning a trip to Paris, I'd have to get this one.
Now I'm going to go off topic. Notice the butterflies on the book cover. I really like them; they're pretty and appealing. It's very funny to me that I like them, because there was a time - about 20 years of my life starting when I was a teenager until my kids were teenagers - when I absolutely HATED images of butterflies. I can't even describe how much I hated them. I wouldn't buy anything with a butterfly on it. I still remember the year I took on a huge volunteer position - the secretary of the state Medical Wives Auxiliary. This was a big deal to be a state officer. When I went to my first meeting, the president presented her theme for the year, and it was all about butterflies and taking flight - with all kinds of butterflies decorating her materials. I almost resigned on the spot. Now that I look back, I really don't remember when or why I changed my attitude. But now I like butterflies.

This recipe journal is tempting since I like to write lots of notes and memoirs about the recipes I use. Sometime I'll share the insides of some of my cookbooks. To me, cooking and food memories are worth writing down and are really good reminders of times and places.

Just simply cute.

This one (which I love because of the wonderful blue-gray color) is called the Cloudy Memory Journal. Yeah, we all need this one. The writing on the cover of this book really doesn't make sense which makes it appealing in a weird way. On the top line it says "ANOTHER DAY CLOUDY MEMORY." The next line says, "at this moment am i drawing to remember or to erase." Then under the line are the numbers 000365.

I love a journal with a flap. This one is pretty darn cute too. Pink and green are a favorite combination of mine. Lately I've been loving all the chrysanthemums (took me three tries to spell that without a red line underneath) that I'm seeing in graphic design. The flowers on this book remind me of the mum look. Notice the red and aqua flower. I would never have put that color combination with pink and green - but it really looks good.

The insides sound interesting, but I'm not to attracted to the cover. Here's the scoop on this one, straight from the Anthropology website: "Little Otsu presents a cheeky little journal with pre-printed prompts that help you to keep track of your research, lists, journal entries, secrets, ideas, venting, things to remember, things to forget...

That's my review. I'm probably going to have to buy the first journal. But I think I'll wander over to Chronicle Books and see what kind of blank books they have. That should keep me from having to write for another hour or two. Oh yeah, here's the Cath Kidston Strawberries Notebook.........

{ virtual shopping at anthropologie }

I like to shop as you may or may not know. LIKE TO SHOP! I consider it one of my core-competencies. To me, shopping is NOT just going and buying things, but going and...hunting for things. And stumbling onto things that are PERFECT - or good deals. Shopping is identifying things you want then searching and finding them. (Bonus: identifying something you want that's expensive, then finding the cheap version.) Shopping is fun when done with friends or family, but REAL shopping is usually accomplished when alone. I love to shop alone.

Usually I like to shop in the real stores in real time better than on the internet. BUT there's one exception for me. I love Anthropologie online. Their website is visually charming. Their selection, while good and big, isn't too big. It's not like shopping at, say, Zappos.com, which is just plain TOO MUCH. Anthropologie has figured out a way to capture the feel of the real store experience and translate it to my little computer screen.

Now if you really want to enjoy Anthropologie online, you HAVE to light the candle called Volcano and set it by your computer while you surf. Do that, and you'll think you're right in the store! Mmmmmm......

the Mille Fleur bag

I was checking out my favorite websites for quilting and fabrics and had to stop by the Fig Tree Quilts site and blog. On Joanna Figueroa's blog dated March 11, she shows this Mille Fleur bag from Bari J Bags. It made my heart skip a beat. The fabrics are incredible. The price of $174 makes it 'window shopping only' but it's still fun to gaze at. Here it is...


Millie Fleur