Since we have so many projects and dreams for this house...it seemed only fitting that I create a permanent series. Let's face it...we save, we spend and then we're broke. And then we start over again. It'll be fun. Join us in the first part of our series: our foyer makeover.
Before:
After:
And here's the inspiration behind this little project:
In the span of blogging life, I feel like I've known Hunter for ages. Funny how that works, right? Maybe we'll meet in real life one day! She's got impeccable taste and an eye for inspiring photos. I bet you can't decide what her favorite colors are either?! Truth be told, I love her blog because it gets me out of the style blues and it's all things girly...which rank pretty high on my list. Meet Hunter!
Hello lovers! I am honored to be invited over here on 101
things introducing my Five Summer Essentials. Johanna has such an eye for
putting together the perfect post to always brighten the blogosphere, so I am
beyond excited to be featured.
Living in San Diego, the weather and attitude can make it
feel like summer year around. Yet, the
Del Mar races, the longer evenings and guarantee of amazing weather day after
day makes this time of year all the more perfect.
It wouldn’t be summer without the perfect white
dress {I’m in love with this one!}. Whether to be worn at the races, a
beachside BBQ or brunch, every girl needs the perfect summer shift dress.
I
have a long standing love affair with lipstick. Any color will do. But in the
summer and paired with a white summer dress, the perfect coral is something I
rarely leave home without. {Love Nars lip color in Niagara. Described as a
satin pinkish coral. Perfect!}
1.Summer and the beach go hand in hand. While I
live in a popular beach destination, every summer since being a little girl,
the family has spent our summers sailing in some place tropical. In the recent
years, I have been able to join my parents when they lived part time in Bora
Bora {a bonus for being in graduate school: vacation!}. This year there is no
Bora Bora trip on the books, but summer wouldn’t be complete without a beach vacation.
To enjoy the beach, every girl needs a new
bikini! The cobalt color and bows of this Miu Miu one are too perfect for the
time spent by the beach and in the ocean this summer.
Dining al fresco is one of my favorite things to do and it is on my essentials list for this time of year. Whether with friends or family, or on a date, no summer is complete without enjoying dinner under the stars on a warm night.
Thanks, Johanna, for having me! Xoxo navy & orange
Thanks Hunter! I'm pretty sure a Miu Miu bikini would be a luxury item we'd all love to have in our suitcase for a trip to Bora Bora...no less! Gorge! You can find Hunter on Twitter, too! xo
Wow...can we get a break with this heat or what? I've never wished for cool temps, sweaters and jeans in July. I live for Summer but this is just insanity. What's next? Locusts?
Who's excited for the Olympics? {points to self} This girl!!
On the home front...the kitchen is nearly complete. I cannot wait to get back to our routine. To be frank, I think Olivia is bored with the toys I packed her. Plus she told me she misses the park district pool. I understand.
The kitchen...looks so wonderful. Our team has been busting their humps and it's paying off. Can't wait to show you the end result and a little side project we did...a refurbished staircase that screamed "colonial times!" No longer the case.
What are you guys doing to enjoy these final dog days of July?
...and a congratulations to my friends Lisa, Chris and Tabitha on the birth of their beautiful babies this week. Congrats! xo
It's hard to imagine fallen leaves and hot cider at this point in time however I've officially entered the "nesting" portion of my pregnancy and wanted to start planning in advance seeing as Dos is due at the very beginning of September which also marks the beginning of Fall. Five Fall Faves was a wonderful hit last year so I'm bringing it back this year! And it will fill the void when I can't blog due to the birth of our second daughter.
So...who's in? Who would love to contribute that hasn't before? You can see my past series here. The only difference this year is that my Five Fall Faves will be featured in a condensed version vs. weekly. I am thinking this will run for 2 weeks total.
Whelp...my shoe addiction has heated up again. Everything was quiet on the home front until I had a spare hour to kill and some wonderfully fast wireless. And from that hatched this baby collage of shoes that I would love to call my own. Damn the internets!!
Nails are really having a moment aren't they? I've been hoarding pictures on Pinterest thinking that maybe one day I'd have all this free time to experiment. Not so much BUT my local nail salon is getting pretty fancy with their nail artistry so I'm thinking all I need to do is bring in my iPad and let them do their thing.
My favorite is the coral with the gold stripe. Subtle yet a tad edgy.
I don't need to emphasize what a rare commodity "date night" is. Right? Right! Well, on Saturday, we got out to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. We started out with cocktails at Ing and let me just tell you...they make a mean pregnancy mocktail! After two fruity concoctions for me and a couple glasses of wine for the mister; the sommelier walked us over to our dinner at their sister restaurant, Moto.
{Very aware how "full" my face has become. I blame baby girl}
I really can't begin to put this dining experience into words. I don't think I could do it justice. I was awestruck, surprised, delighted and overall, blown away. We laughed hard, ate well and patted our bellies on the way out. And then this happened...and my night was complete. Read: school girl excited!
@JohannaLindsay@moto_restaurant I hope u are enjoying your meal so far , ask for a tour of the kitchen at the end of you meal
14 courses and one edible zen garden. Do you see the artistry in this course? I marvel at anything miniature.
Yep, those are corn waffle cones filled with warm lobster and pureed corn. Brilliant!
No words. Venison, pea puree, blueberries and morel mushrooms. All edible minus the log.
Not your mama's espresso. Coconut sugar cubes. Espresso gel with a layer of pumpkin bread beneath soaking up the goodness.
A special course designed for me since I could not partake in the bourbon course. Liquid nitrogen cereal with blueberries. I look uncertain but let me just tell you...it was the best cereal I've ever eaten!
Reverse tasting/aromatic experience. Two leather gloves complete with a little liquid nitrogen for effect. The rest...you have to go and experience for yourself because I don't want to spoil it.
And the final course...a crackling balloon filled with liquid nitrogen for a very special occasion.
The creativity that went into this menu is unlike anything I've ever seen. My dad asked if I'd go back and my answer was a resounding "YES!" Check out this video - it's worth the watch!
Thanks Moto; you made our celebration an unforgettable one!
Here we are! Another weekend with a built-in date night. I'm afraid this could be the last until a certain someone shows up! This weekend the hubs and I celebrate our second anniversary. The irony...I'm pregnant, again. Two babies in two years. I think we REALLY plan to take it easy and stop the cycle from here on out. At least my birth control prescription says so. TMI? Sorry! We couldn't be more excited to treat ourselves to a special dinner here!
In other news, the kitchen was completely gutted this week and we relocated to my parents with our busy toddler. Gosh, you gotta pack a lotta stuff! Still, it's gonna be worth it and I'll have some before, in-between and after pics to share with you next week.
...and to my husband - Happy Anniversary babe, I love you!
We're realizing that the birth of Dos is coming a lot quicker these days. With a nursery in full swing and a growing huge belly...it's overwhelming and exciting to picture us as a family of four.
And despite this being my second pregnancy...the name question comes up quite a bit. From everyone. This time around we opted to keep it a secret. You could say we learned the hard way...and garnering 45 different opinions of what we should name our child just doesn't sound appealing to us. But fear not, we have one and it's a good one. And I quite like the pairing of Dos' name with Olivia's. The two "G" sisters. They'll be the two best friends that anyone could have.
I think what's made it somewhat amusing is how "pretend" hurt our families have acted at us keeping the moniker under wraps. It's quite dramatic and you could say they were a bit surprised. Some are unrelenting. All in good fun but we vowed not to crack.
Did you spill the beans on your babe's name? Or do you plan to once preggers?
There's nothing like a date night in the Summer. A bit inexplicable...they're just so much better than winter date nights! Perhaps it's the barely there fashion combined with dining alfresco...and who doesn't love a chilled glass of rose?
This would be my ideal date night outfit. Dressy yet comfortable with the perfect dose of color and a subtle pairing of accessories. Let's not ignore those neutral wedges with the neon piping? Whoa!
I was turned onto this website from a local Chicagoan and boy, am I happy! The clothes are affordable, on trend and the inventory is primo. You could virtual shop for days. Which is what I did Friday night while husband was playing with a buddy. There are a million more items I'm coveting however this pretty much sums up all the pieces I'd wear to transition from Summer to Fall. {if it weren't for my current state!}
If you're ever in need of a cheerleader, look no further - Elsa is your gal. I can pretty much count on her any given day to offer up words of encouragement or to leave a cheerful note. Bright and sunny is just what you'll find on this fellow Spaniard turned Miami native's blog. A lifestyle blog about culture, fashion, travel and relationships. As much as you'll love her sweet blog...it's really her "glass half full" disposition that will have you coming back for more. Look no further - Elsa is your Monday ray of light!
If The Shoe Fits…
As much as I love
travelling and shopping, I always consider quite it challenging to find the‘right shoes’for my trips. Comfort is a top priority for me - I learned the hard way! At the
same time, I don’t want to compromise style or break the bank! For this post, I
wanted to put together a little selection of what my ideal shoe picks would be,
inspired on four vacation destinations –where I'd DIE to go to!
Destination #1:
Formentera, Spain
A true island gem in
the Mediterranean, Formenterais the
ideal place to enjoy virgin beaches and fabulous food. Pure relaxation!
Shoes:Pikolinos Formentera
sandals.
Spanish brand Pikolinoshas partnered with Kenya’s Maasai
tribe and super model Eugenia Silva,
to create the Maasai collection. The beaded parts of the sandals are made by the Maasai women and all the sales profits go to fund development
projects on the Maasai area.
Destination #2:
Berlin, Germany
I cannot wait to rent a bike and spend a few days rolling around this
city full of history, art and culture.
Shoes:Ankle boots.
I think this option adds some ‘edge’ to any outfit. At the same time, they are so versatile and go
well with pretty much anything, from a flirty dress to denim cut-off, jeans to cargo pants.
Destination #3:
Portofino, Italy.
Probably the most
sophisticated spot in the Mediterranean. I don’t think I can afford to spend a lot of days there, but I certainly fantasize about having ‘al fresco’ dinners
and sweet promenades across the harbor.
Shoes:Ferragamo Sandals
I just came across
these super sweet Ferragamosandals,
and couldn’t help but visualize me walking across the old port heading to the
trattoria to have some amazing pasta
under the Italian sky.
Destination # 4: Cape
Town, South Africa.This is a long-overdue
trip that – God willing! - I plan on making in 2013 along with someone VERY
special to me!
Shoes: Timberland
hiking shoes.
I used to wear
Timberland boat shoes back in high school. Even though I hadn’t worn any
Timberland gear for the last 17 years, I love the brand’s quality and
statement. I’d definitely get some comfortable and stylish hiking shoes for
that trip.
Do you usually take
your time to pick the right shoes for travelling?
Do you have any particular
story/experience you want to share?
Johanna, thanks SO much for giving me this amazing opportunity.
You blog is a real inspiration! I read it every day and I really appreciate how
kind and generous you have always been to me. Love your writing, strength,
vision and sense of humor. You ROCK!
Thanks so much, Elsa! The feelings are mutual! I loved your creative approach to traveling footwear which is clearly a priority in any girl's suitcase. xo
To say I am excited about this weekend would be an under statement. It's been a long, grueling week filled with lots of work, sleepless nights and the stress of planning for next week. Read: Kitchen Crasher! {DIY network anyone?} We'll get through it but tomorrow...tomorrow is adult day! Not that I love Olivia any less but some adult conversation and lounging is in order as we are heading up to a friend's lake house for the day. I cannot wait to catch up with my people and drink mocktails in the sun. My husband is so lucky. He can drink real beer, like a Corona, in the sun. Doesn't that sound good?
Thank you again for your notes, texts and emails this week. You lifted my spirits. And I realize my posts have been a bit "blah" but I'll find some inspo this weekend and get back on track. In the meantime, here are some links worth sharing:
I certainly am not the first woman to have children 16 months apart. This I know. But truth be told, the physicality of chasing a 1 year old on top of being 8 months pregnant has caused emotions to erupt as of late. Recently, I found myself lamenting to my husband over tears and a girlfriend via text at which point it's perfectly okay for you to call me "hormonal". Truth is, having a huge barrel bump sit between you and the dishwasher, the laundry machine, a toy 4 feet away on the floor or even picking up your nugget is...well...rather frustrating. That and perhaps the fact that our little one has not slept through the night in 9 days. Yes, I said 9. She's been hanging onto a fierce cold that just won't go away.
Did I mention that our kitchen is going to be demo'd down to the studs next Tuesday? If that doesn't scream awesome...I don't know what does!
As you guys know, I hate to complain/complainers but this ain't easy. However it should be noted that shedding a few tears somehow makes you feel a little bit more sane...temporarily. Thank goodness for supportive husbands...and yoga pants.
Not really sure what the point of this post is other than to bring out the "real" once in awhile. Many blessings abound we/I have but man, I would kill to snatch a few winks or sit comfortably for more than an hour.
Enough. I'm done.
Just a dose of reality from this lady.
{P.S. for those that haven't had babies yet...it really is awesome. Don't let me scare you.}
When I think of Alicia's blog, the following descriptors come to mind: feminine, muted pastels, Bardot, cosmetics, beauty and dainty. Does that make you want to take a peek? I don't blame you. I love visiting her corner of the world for a splash of color and the deliberate beauty she incorporates into every post. And, I think you'll agree that today's post is perfectly girlie and retro-tastic for Summer. Enjoy and meet Alicia!
Hi! My name is Alicia and my summer must-haves are heavily influenced by Brigitte Bardot's St. Tropez style...
A gingham bralet (this one from Topshop is adorable), the perfect amount of blush and bronzer to warm my skin (I love NARS), a floral silky scarf to tie in my hair, a fitted white romper (or sundress), and a brightly colored bikini.
Each of these essentials will definitely make my summer better!
Thanks a bunch, Alicia...you've inspired me to add some volume to my hair, swipe some winged eyeliner on and throw on a little gingham in my beach bag. I love it! xoxo
Johanna Grange 
richard farina 
