The Dog Days of Summer & A Few Favorite Links…

The Dog Days of Summer – there’s something so special about this time of year. It brings an out with the old, in with the new kind of feeling. Sure, it’s still hot and it’s definitely still humid, but you know that the crispness of Fall is right around the corner. And the best thing of all: you’re able to reminisce about the joys of summer while still enjoying your summer freedom!

The Dog Days also bring with it a delicious harvesting season. Now, I definitely don’t have a green thumb but even I was able to harvest a few goodies out of the garden…

Via Instagram

…but oh how I would love to have the land and the thumb to harvest so much more!

Like Annie over at Sun & Glory. I love reading about her foraging expertise, but most of all, the pictures of her bounties are delicious! You can find some amazing images, recipes, and tips on gardening here, here, and here. Oh yeah, and her backyard is amazing.

Speaking of delicious, I’m a bit in love with Le Zoe’s homemade sugar scrubs. While I haven’t yet tried it for myself, I have no doubt the Peony and pomegranate and acai berry tea scrub is mouth-watering. And placed in a clear jar, it would look beautiful on any bath-side table or shelving (consider making extra to give to overnight guests)!

While we’re on a floral kick here, have any of you tried the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist? I have my qualms about it’s “miracle” properties, but it does sound pretty darn refreshing. I’m tempted to give it a try…

And finally, who said marriage isn’t yard work?

Hope you all have a pleasant and bountiful weekend!

Rainy Day Remedies & A Few Favorite Links

Well, if you’re anything like me, you may need a little pick-me-up for the rainy weekend ahead! Here are a few delicious remedies to remind you of dry and sunshiny days:

Watermelon Malibu Surf Via

Champagne Raspberry Popsicles Via

Unfortunately, these are remedies that I can’t quite partake of at the moment, but a girl can dream! Although, here are a few that I actually can…

Strawberries & Cream Ice Box Bars Via

Fresh Watermelon Jello + Sea Salt Via

Sugared Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream Via

Oh so delicious…

Speaking of remedies to get you through the weekend, here are a few of my favorite links for the week:

• http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/murad-osmann-follow-me-to/#: Love this cultural eye candy by photographer Murad Osmann. Osmann

  creatively documents his travels around the world with his girlfriend leading the way in his ongoing series known as Follow Me To.

• http://photographyawesomesauce.com/20-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-photographing-in-manual-mode/: I’ve been making an attempt to sharpen my very amateur photography skills lately, and these were tips that I’ve actually put into use!
• http://bliss-athome.com/2013/07/11/house-updates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=house-updates: A prime example of what a can of paint can do! What a difference and an easy hour project to do over the weekend.
• http://blog.foureyedwonder.com/2013/06/crafty-hands-04.html: Another super-easy project that will leave you with a pop of color and a smile on your face!

TGIF – have a wonderful weekend ya’ll!

SHARING THE LOVE!

It’s one of those days…I’ve been running around like a chicken with out its head (you know I’m country when I start nattering about headless chickens!) so I’m going to make this post short and sweet.

First, I want to thank Kim over at Made in A Day for featuring my sewing table! I come across vintage sewing tables all of the time, so I’m glad I finally put one to good use. Pop on over to Kim’s blog for some fabulous DIY inspiration. I particularly love the Halloween display she recently put together:

Adorably creepy, eh? And quite an easy project for the kids to put together!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now, if you haven’t already noticed, I’m a bit of a blog addict. I could spend an entire day browsing the inter-webs and would be as happy as a pea in a pod… or, per the Geiko commercials, as happy as a witch in a broom factory! It’s impossible for me to keep up with all the blogs that I come across and fall in love with, but I thought I’d share the love a little bit at a time:

1.  I’m sure many of you are familiar with A Beautiful Mess, but if not, I highly recommend taking a peek! I promise, you will immediately be sucked in. Elsie & Emma, the two sisters that run the blog, are not only gorgeous, but incredibly talented to boot. From their quirky fashion sense to their DIY skills and right on to their amazingly delicious recipes, these girls have it all. I’ll actually be making this dessert tonight!

Yum, baked peaches and puff pastry apples – delish!!

2.  I came across this NY Mag post via Jess In Belgium (another great blog!) and found myself giggling hysterically. Only recently have I found myself to be a Gossip Girl fan while watching miscellaneous re-runs, but I actually “got” most of the memorable moments!

Hehehe.

3.  As mentioned in a previous post, I sometimes struggle to find happiness in daily life. But Amber from The Usual Bliss helps me to put life into perspective and find joy in the little things. Her blog is about everything blissful and I have no doubt that upon reading it, you’ll find yourself a little more blissful as well! Not to mention, you’ll find pictures galore of this guy…

…and how can he not make you smile?

Hope these blogs can make your weekend a little more enjoyable – have a great one my friends!

GO KRISTEN, IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY….

So I woke up bright and early this morning (ok, 7:30 is early for me…), plopped myself in front of my laptop with my ritual cup o’ joe, and lo and behold, there was Google morphed into a birthday cake. And then it dawned on me, today is my birthday!

After 30 years of fabulous and often and sometimes over-the-top birthday parties, I’m finally settling into my ripe old age of 31. And guess what folks? There’s no birthday party this year. There’s no it’s-all-about-me day. There’s no I-can-do-whatever-I-want day. Nope. Today is just another day, and I’m feeling good about it.

In fact, I’ll actually be headed down to Norfolk this afternoon to celebrate someone else – my cousin is getting married! So while it won’t be about me – it’ll still be a heck of a good time with friends and family. Tonight is the rehearsal dinner, and I’m quite certain many margaritas will be had by all.

But while we (or at least ME) are on the subject of my birthday, let me share with you my just because Wish List…

1. gold pig bookends set of 2 / 2. Necklace / 3. Hunter Original High Gloss’11 at 6pm.com / 4. Cow painting Eulalie by pinkgloves2 on Etsy / 5. Vita Fede chain wrap bracelet / 6. Cobalt dress / 7. Helen Kaminski brimmed hat / 8. Caden Nailhead Stool | Pottery Barn

 

Have a great weekend everyone – I know I will!

FLEA MARKET STYLE…CELESTE SHAW LIVING

Better late than never, I finally got my hands on the Winter edition of Flea Market Style magazine and it was love at first sight. The vintage  “Hausrind” anatomical diagram on the cover is nothing short of fabulous! Where can I get one? (I’m actually quite serious – if you know where I can find one please shoot me an email at kekaylor@gmail.com and I will be in your debt forever!)  

Open to page 94 and you will be faced with the gorgeous home of Celeste Shaw, award-winning restaurateur, nurse, and vintage maven (I know, how does she do it all?!). I love the rusted and wood-worn patina throughout the farmhouse that Celeste and her husband expanded upon over 30 years; the amazingly distressed kitchen cabinets made from chipped and peeling bead board pulled from beneath a porch on a friend’s farmhouse, the 19th-century swing that hangs from the living room ceiling, the 300-drawer antique seed cabinet (with original seed packets!), the time-worn French metal dining chairs, I could go on and on…

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find images of the home floating around the internet, so you’ll have to pick up a copy of Flea Market Style to see for yourself! But here’s a sneak peak (my apologies for the quality of the photos – I actually snapped pics from the magazine!)…

Yep, I think Celeste Shaw is definitely my new Girl Crush…

(Also, a quick shout out to Marian Parsons – aka Miss Mustard Seed – for her fantastic Flea Market Style office makeover!)

If you have any free time this weekend, here’s a roundup of a few other good reads:

Nesting Place’s Final Thoughts on Thrifting.

The Tiny Twigs’ How to Work From Home.

Miss Mustard Seed’s Losing & Finding Myself.

The Daily Buzz’s 25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier.

Enjoy your weekend and happy reading!