flowers for friday #22

coco + kelley

i am thankful for so much that happened this year and am thrilled about the new opportunities to come! of course elle and i will be here to share it all with you.

we thank you for your love and support of our little blog. when we started it, we had no idea how well it'd be received, how many people we'd meet, how many friends we'd make, how much fun we'd have...

thank you.

the clock is ticking!!

i hope you have a {safe} fabulous night tonight, whether at home or out and about.

love.

JILL.

ringing it in

with the last day of 2010 upon us i thought it was time to continue with jill's idea of what i would like to accomplish in the new year. some of the items are things i do already, but want to continue, some are things that i would like to edit as i am not at the level of consistency and devotion that i wish i was (many factors may have played into this so i don't want to blame myself or be disappointed, but rather start fresh in the new year making a conscious effort to be more aware), and some are new...

but first, i think it is important to reflect on 2010. take a look back at the year and be thankful for the events that did occur whether difficult or exciting, small or large and think about how those events, people, places, and ideas impacted each of us to grow ourselves. isn't that what living is all about? this year brought about lots of change in my life with the loss of two grandparents and a close family friend, the welcoming of a niece and nephew, the addition of a sister, a move to a new apartment, weddings and new babies for close friends, changes at work, exciting trips, and the addition of this new blog that has been such a blessing. an amazing place to share ideas with friends...a place to make new friends...and a wonderful outlet for creativity that has been graced with so much support. life is good, and i know that 2011 will bring about more excitement and change for each of you.

here are a few thoughts on things to hope to accomplish in 2010...

...work on completing apartment projects and share them with readers. they include recovering a chair, painting and wallpapering the bathrooms, adding shelving to the livingroom to create a bar area, paint the guest room/office, add a few pieces of furniture and rugs, finish outstanding paint projects…i could go on but i am starting to get overwhelmed :)

...continue to explore and learn and share inspiring, relevant and fresh ideas with readers

...take time to reflect on myself, what I aspire to be and how I want to grow towards that goal

...stay connected with friends both in new york city and across the country through more phone calls, emails, text messages, visits, and coffee dates

...make more consistent time for exercise and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. craig at nyhrc is my hero. If you haven’t made it to arms/abs/assets you must try it out. he kicks butt

...be more consistent in serving the community and helping those who are less fortunate

...enjoy my amazing husband and find time to be together continuing to be a team, best friends, and a support system to each other.

..try new recipes, read more books, host fun parties, make new friends, and enjoy all the lovely things life has to offer

be safe this evening, and have a happy new year!!

xoxo

elle

{images via pinterest, we heart it, lonny}

hello, gorgeous.

i don't know where this is but i'd like to become acquainted :)

today it's 65 degrees! 6-5. very unseasonable but very welcomed. i've opened the windows at home to let some stale winter air out, and the fresh in.

happy thursday.

JILL

{image from everything fab}

a new year, a new thing

each year that i have tried out a resolution, by taking something away from my life that could be construed as a 'bad' habit... it never really fared so well, never seemed to want to stick around.

last year i started a new kind of resolution for myself, one that will make my life better... and they seem to! i decided last year, to try to make my life healthier. i was never unhealthy but my running hobby from growing up sorta faded a tad through college and even more so after (sigh)... so i started that back up again... and. i. have. been. loving. it.

i also decided to replace my cup of coffee in the morning with a green tea, just because it was good for me. i was never really a tea drinker before and it was hard at first, but now i have one every single morning and i just think the world of it! all 5 flavors i have in my desk drawer are delicious :)

this year i am going to continue to do those things that make me a healthier me, but i'd also like to do something to benefit my home.

i have a family room and a living room in my house. for being a cute little starter, i love having both spaces but i have focused my decor attention waaay more on the living room and sorta neglected the family room... sad to say but that is where all my 'left over' furniture from the move lives....

so each month, for the next 12, i will buy a piece of art, frame something cool, or make something crafty to hang on my bare white walls. of course, i will share what i hang and here's hoping the final result looks like one of the beauties above ;)

what do you think?

JILL

catching up

with the craziness of events in the fall i am so far behind on my online shelter magazines. i feel so out of the loop. looking forward to finding some time to snuggle up and enjoy...and with so many options it may take awhile! what is your favorite from 2010? you can cast your vote at casasugar!!

xoxo

elle.

survival kit

as my husband and i were making the trek back to nyc a few days ago we were checking the road conditions and weather report to prepare ourselves for what we had in store. lets just say it wasn't good- the severe weather report mentioned that if you must to be on the roads be sure to have a winter survival kit with you. we did not have that...but we made it back safely. thank goodness. as i stare out the window this morning at frustrated city goers trying to free their cars from the piles of brown snow hiding them, tromping through the deep puddles that have formed at the crosswalks, and hammering at the patches of ice on the sidewalks working to clear a path to their store fronts i am creating my own survival kit. one that requires staying put...and if you must go outside bundle up and make it quick.

xoxo

elle.

{images via j.crew, anthropologie, nordstrom, michelle loewen photography, hunter, apartment therapy, free people, restoration hardware, and unknown}

just what i needed

i just came across this book title as i discovered the book store on 57th street, rizzoli, mentioned on habitually chic today. it is just what i need to get me through the disaster i am currently sitting in. reentry is never easy. with a mix of half unpacked suitcases overflowing with summer and winter clothes, a dried out christmas tree with ornaments that look like they have been eaten by the tree, and a fish that didn't survive the trip, things are a bit out of order at our place...not to mention the half completed apartment projects, and the inspirational magazines that are stacked in the corner. i have to remind myself to take things one step at a time...

check out the book here and let me know what you think.

a bit more about it:

For all those who choose to live "imperfectly" with the messy things they love, this book shows how to do so creatively, happily, and with considerable style ideas from leading designers. A beautiful and inspiring volume, A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of A Misspent Life focuses on living well with everything that makes a house a home. If you have been influenced by the picturesquely cluttered studios of Pablo Picasso or Alexander Calder, or by the art- and book-filled house of Vanessa Bell, this unique style book will stimulate you with its creative ideas.This volume explores how real-life tastemakers (photographers, textile designers, fashion designers, writers, artists) integrate their life and interiors to live well with their passions, histories, conveniences, and inconveniences. In inspiring essays, Mary Randolph Carter muses on such key housekeeping concerns as clutter versus mess; open windows; and unmade beds. Combining practical tips with liberating philosophy—"Don’t scrub the soul out of your home"; "Make room for what you love"—this volume celebrates living beautifully and happily, not messily. Lavishly illustrated with intimate photographs of different living spaces, Carter exalts in the beauty of imperfection and in living perfectly in our "imperfect" homes. Life isn’t perfect—why should your house be?

xoxo

elle.

gold + black + white

i saw this apartment on apartment therapy before the holidays and couldn't resist sharing with you all. it seems like the perfect place to celebrate the new year!

the metallic accents and starburst black and white rug feel festive, fresh, and fancy.

add a few glasses of bubbly, a little black dress, hats, and noisemakers and you have yourself a party!!

xoxo

elle.

{images via apartment therapy, martha stewart, corbis images, and sfparty.com}

celebration

with this year's new year celebration falling on a friday, there are lots of brides who took advantage of a night full of its own sparkle and festivities. next year it falls on a saturday and i bet there will be just as many, if not more :)

this wedding editorial from martha shows you just how fun you could have with a new year's eve wedding! i am obsessed with the polka dot theme and color combination: navy, gold, white, tangerine and bright fuschia. so fun.

even if you're not getting married, this could be used as inspiration to throw your own part-ay!

cocktails, confetti and sugar-sparkled doughnuts. i'm in.

xo

JILL

{all images via martha stewart}