This and That

Divine Twine
I was beyond excited to have my first order of Divine Twine waiting in the box when I arrived home from Savannah earlier this month.  The 100% cotton eco-luxe twine comes in an array of mouth watering colors, perfect for packaging treats, wrapping gifts, adorning invitations and SO much more!  Sister and I ordered together, choosing aqua, oyster and cherry to start our collection.  And don't you just adore the little notebook bitty bag cheerfully wrapped in a bundle of Divine Twine with the Whisker Graphics business card tucked inside?  I do. 

Lux Fragrances
Y'all know the only thing I love more than a package is a present package.  So not only was the Divine Twine waiting for me, but I also received this sublime set of Lux candles from bestie R.  He has unmatched taste in candles (and florals and gardens and home decor and I could go on forever.)  Aside from the fact that these are some of the most highly scented candles you can find, they are presented in heavy weight glass jars with to die for embellishments.

Vintage Finds
I absolutely love it when Mother unearths some swoon worthy relic from the past (NOT of the Cabbage Patch variety.)  And it happens more often than you'd think.  So this trip I scooted off with a vintage Starland Dairy milk bottle and old film reel (don't worry Sister, there is one for you too.)

The Starland Dairy was once located in what is now the up-and-(hopefully)-coming Starland District that I've carried on about here and here.  From what I can tell, the dairy operated from the early 1900's to 1968 when it was bought by a competitor and closed.

 

The vintage reel belonged to Mother's father and is part of a set of two that were used for viewing old films of Mother and Aunt as children.  It landed on my living room bookshelf for now but I'm not convinced that will be it's permanent home.  And, would you believe that I was flipping through the Ballard catalog the very same day I came home with it to find their Film Reel Plaques?!?  Not only is it old, but it's architectural to boot!

So that's the this and that in my world today.  I'll have to update y'all later on my super busy day at the March of Dimes Walk for Babies, new friend A's girl's birthday soiree, a baseball game and the Camp Twin Lakes fundraiser dance.  I've got to get to bed before I pass out sitting up.

xoxo

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Your Weekend.....(Via Made By Girl)

-image by jen ramos

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Cool Felt by Crafts 2 Cherish...(Via Made By Girl)

How is everyone today? Did you get to see the Royal Wedding?

I'm so relieved it's Friday..... With all the HYPE regarding the ROYAL Wedding, I ended up falling asleep & not watching it. Then again, who wants to stay up till 3am to see Will & Kate get married!?! Ok, I admit I did....but at 3am?!? No wonder I fell asleep. 

I SWEAR the BRIDE would be wearing a super tall hat of some sort in the shape of a crown maybe??  Or was she ACTUALLY supposed to wear the crown?? 

Anyhow, I pictured something different, hence why I'm featuring this company called Crafts 2 Cherish. I was so INSPIRED by those amazing headpieces at the wedding..they were so amazing! I figured a average girls like us could rock something similar without the HEFTY price tag right? Crafts 2 Cherish is based out of Ireland & the artist makes these hand felted pieces for the hair and more! These were my favorites if course....

 Check out the shop here for more! 

-Images by Tom Szusztek

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A Royal Love Story

Aloha Bloggerinos,

Wowie!! Today's Royal Wedding was an international celebration not to be missed.

I celebrated with Matt, Baby Glitter (who snoozed through the entire fairytale), Auntie Jackie and my cousin Joseph. We had royal wedding cake (or Victoria sponge with a gimmicky picture of Wills and Kate on), champagne, balloons, bunting and to top it all off, Jackie and I wore our wedding dresses! Hahahahahahaha!

I'm sure you will see a million images of the day but my blog would be missing out if I didn't pinch some off weheartit.com.

Kate's ivory gown with lace applique was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexandra McQueen and was inspired by an opening flower. I think she looked unbelievable. Every bit as graceful and elegant as you would expect a Princess to look.

On the other hand, Princess Beatrice and Eugine chose some very interesting outfits indeed. Good grief.

Oof, I bet that was a nervous moment for Prince William. Did you notice how Wills didn't look round as Kate walked up the aisle? That's meant to be good luck donthcya know. Prince Harry had a cheeky look though. Mmmmmm Prince Harry *drools*.

And then they were Husband and Wife. I just think the whole shibang, dress, suit, carriage, everything, looks spectacular!

All good fairy tales end with a kiss.

I really do wish them health, wealth (think they're OK on that front) and happiness.

Toodlepip!

xx

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Briefcase in Mushroom

This bag is a good representation of my life. Simple, functional, and in style all season long. Wink!

I really love this color. It's a warm earthy gray and so so wonderfully soft. It's squishy and distressed and can be worn all year round.

Here's the kicker: I only had enough leather for TWO Briefcases.

You can "share" this with your man, too, if that helps justify the purchase. By share, I mean you can tell him, "Hey babe, I got a bag for us to share" and he'll say, "I don't wear murses" and you can keep it for yourself, but know that he can also wear it when you're wearing your brand new Clutch from my shop.

Brand new Clutch, I said?

Why yes, I'm in the final stages of sketching the details and assessing the dimensions. More updates on Monday!

You can get your Briefcase in Mushroom in the shop now!

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Keep Calm and Marry On

The day awaited with bated breath by Anglophiles all over the world has dawned.  And as the wedding was just getting underway in Britain, here on the other side of the Atlantic, Mother and I were up early making the final preparations for our own fete fit for royals.

Bestie C, bestie N, Sister, Mother and I donned our tiaras, noshed on delectable brunch bites and sipped on Paris Tea with a spot of cream while we reveled in the pomp and ceremony of the making of a true princess bride.

Our royal menu, marrying English favorites with Southern specialties, featured everything from frittatas and grits to scones and biscuits. 

A Ginger Orange Cocktail and pot of hot tea comprised the festive refreshments.

Armed with six hours of wedding recordings and a morning for just the girls, we reveled in the convivial hats.

Our hearts ached for the sweet sons of Princess Diana, who were surely missing their mum on this momentous occasion.

We were, again, awestruck by the beauty of the Westminster Abbey and swooning over the resplendent trees that adorned the grand aisle.

Kate's exquisite gown had us spellbound and we couldn't help but consider what it must be like to walk in her shoes on this day.

We were captivated by royal cavalry and carriages, and the throngs of well-wishers lining the streets of London and lawn of Buckingham Palace.

And the long awaited kiss(es) on the balcony was short, sweet and undoubtedly genuine.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge certainly make a smashing couple. 

Oh, to leave your wedding breakfast in an Ashton Martin driven by a true prince...

All the while, we played a convivial game of Royal Wedding Bingo, hoping for Barbara Walters to mention "mail order company" or "Kenya" for the win.

And since no soiree would be complete without a frivolous favor, I sent the gals home with mini bottles of royal wedding hand sanitizers fit for a princess.

It was a jolly good time and a gorgeous day in so many ways.  Now we are ready for some royal babies...

Cheerio!
xoxo

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Unearthly

  If you've been visiting my blog for the past few months, you've probably noticed that the cover of Unearthly has been in my upcoming review widget for quite sometime. I can explain. I hit a really bad streak of reading pretty bad angel related books with gorgeous covers. I began to think that maybe the subject of angels was turning me off so I was hesitate to pick up Unearthly. Reading glowing reviews about the book around the blogosphere made me to decide to give this book a shot. So I moved it from the bottom of my to be read pile to the top and I can honestly say that I glad I did.

Description: Angels are given a purpose on Earth. Clara Gardner is a Quartarius, a quarter-angel, is about to realize her angel purpose. She is constantly receiving vivid visions of saving a teenage boy from a forest fire in Teton County, Wyoming. Who is this boy? Where is he and why does he need to be saved?

Review: To be completely honest, I had very low expectations for Unearthly. The previous angel novels I read had lots of potential, both plot and character wise, but the writing quickly fell apart. Thankfully, Unearthly made me realize that there are indeed good books about angels. It made me realize that with the previous books, my complaint wasn't necessarily about the subject of the books, but rather how it was written.
   The book begins with Clara receiving a vision of saving a teenage boy from a forest fire. The vision clues that Clara remembers such as a license plate lead her family to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Clara has never seen the boy's face in her vision, only the back of his head and body but on her first day of school, she meets the boy of her vision face to face: the super popular and devastatingly handsome Christian. Clara's sole focus is trying to learn as much about Christian as she can in order to make sense of her purpose. Along the way, she befriends with two very different girls: the easygoing, sweet and adorable Wendy (a character I would love to be best friends with), and Angela, the intense loner. Clara fits nicely with both of these girls, who balance her angel and human characteristics. It's really Wendy’s twin brother, Tucker, though who unknowingly seems to change Clara's purpose and makes her question about blindly following her unknown destiny.
  Unearthly does have the usual tropes of a supernatural romance: new girl at a school, two love interests, a secret she can't share, but its Hand's deftly crafted unique angel mythology and interesting characters that held my interest. Though the book is well over 400 pages, I was amazed on how quickly I read it.
  Clara is an endearing heroine who is realistically portrayed, well as realistic as you can get in a supernatural romance. She fears not meeting her mother's expectations of her purpose while desiring to find answers about what it means to be an angel. Is she merely a puppet? What happens if she refuses to accept her purpose once she realizes what it is? Or succeeds? Or even worse fails? Clara is also struggling with her feelings for the two love interests. What I loved about Clara is that she is a honest, ordinary girl who actually interacts with her family, which is composed of  a single mother who is half angel, and her brother, who is also a quarter angel. Readers are spared the "I can't tell you because it's not safe" routine. Clara does tells the truth to those who are important to her and to those who drive the story.
   As for love interests, I'm completely captivated by Tucker Avery. Tuck is someone who exudes natural charm. He is genuinely warm, straight forward, and incredibly funny. I loved how he called Clara "carrots" because it reminded me so much of the banter between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. Tuck and Clara fit perfectly. Watching these two develop from friendship to a potential relationship was definitely a highlight for me. I didn't mind Christian, the boy of Clara's vision, but I didn't really feel like I got to know him. He is much more reserved than Tucker and I had a hunch that he was also holding back a secret, which isn't revealed until later in the story. I'm sure we will get to know him better in the later installment of this series.
  While Unearthly is a trilogy, the ending doesn't leave you with a major cliffhanger. There are enough unresolved questions that will bring readers back for the next book without feeling like we got the carpet pulled out underneath our feet. I'm really curious about Clara's purpose, the information her mother is withholding from her, and of course how a potential love triangle is in the works. I'm glad that I picked up Unearthly and I suggest you should pick it up too if you are in the mood for a relatively clean, sweet romance.


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is a very minor scene of underage drinking at a party, but it only lasts for a couple of sentences. Other than that, it's a pretty clean book. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Dark Divine series by Bree Despain, Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

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Think Better in Pink

(Vintage denim shirt, gifted J Brand Skinnies, Kelsi Dagger Zipper Heels, gifted Rebecca Minkoff Clutch)

Two denim shirt post in a row! These were actually taken last week and I remember everyone at work (including non-gay architects) mentioning how much they liked my pants. I love embracing color and the easiest way for me to wear it without being too out there (although I don't really mind being too out there at times) is making it more casual by pairing it with the most casual thing in my closet, a denim shirt.

I'm off to LA for the weekend to search for apartments so wish me luck!

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Elements of the Best House Insurance

For most homeowners, the home is their most valuable investment. As such, most homeowners like to have the best possible protection on the home. The best house insurance can come with a little steeper price than most policies, but many consider it worth the extra money to make sure the home is adequately covered. There are a few specific things a homeowner needs to make sure they have with their policy to ensure they have the best house insurance.
The Best House Insurance is the HO5 Insurance Policy
The HO5 insurance policy is typically the best insurance policy a homeowner can buy. It comes with the broadest range of coverage for both the home and the personal property.  Of course the HO5 doesn't cover every single peril imaginable, but most homeowners would be very hard-pressed to find any insurance policy lesser than the HO5 that even matches, let alone exceeds, the range of coverage that is included in the HO5 insurance policy.

The Best House Insurance Includes All Water Protection
Home insurance policies typically never cover flood damage, but they will cover just about any other type of damage caused by water. The four standard types of water damage that can be purchased (or included in the policy) are: Sudden & Accidental, Continual Seepage, Backup, and Foundation.  These four water damages will cover a majority of water claims that you may need to file, and thus if a homeowner is looking for the best coverage, all water protections need to be endorsed onto the policy. Most HO5 policies will automatically include at least two of the four, and some even include all the water protections.

The Best House Insurance Schedules Valuables
Most homeowners that want the best insurance also have sentimental valuables that they would love to hold on to.  To schedule personal property means to specifically list it on the policy. Most belongings in an insurance policy have blanket coverage. If a homeowner schedules an item, the homeowner receives special protection for that item. Typically the homeowner doesn't have to pay the deductible if it gets damaged and is guaranteed to receive the exact value of the item. Some insurance companies will even cover a loss to a misplaced item if it is scheduled on the home insurance policy.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/elements-of-the-best-house-insurance-4555901.html#ixzz1KvL2s0iI
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

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Growing Palm Trees

Palm trees grow best in the tropic areas and most of them do well where the temperature is above 59°C (59°F). However, there are some species of the palm tree that grow well in cold temperatures. Such species include the dwarf sugar palm and the Bismarck Palm that can grow in temperatures as low as -6°C (21° F). Before deciding to grow palms, you should research and ask around for its unique growing conditions. There are some types of palms like the coconut that cannot grow in cold weather.
Growing palms is becoming quite popular among households because of the fact that they require little maintenance. They do not shed off leaves and it does not take so much time to make them look good. Palms do not need any pruning. All that should be done is to remove the spent fronds to give it a neat look. If you are growing palms that produce suckers; such as the Medjool date, ensure that you cut the sucker away from the parent plant by chopping it out using a sharp object.
If you need to transplant palms, it should be done when the soil temperature is on the rise, especially during spring or early summer. This is because most of the palm trees have reduced root function in low temperatures. After transplanting, it is important that you water the transplanted tree to prevent it from drying out.

If you decide on growing palm trees from their seeds, you should be very patients as the seeds take a long while before germinating. To improve on the chances of the seeds germinating, you should peel off the fleshy covering and soak the seeds in tepid water for one day. Get rid of the ones that are floating and use the ones that sunk for planting. You should keep your palm warm in a green house or on a window sill. If the palm tree is grown, you can keep it warm by wrapping its trunk using bubble wrap and mulch it to protect the roots.
Growing palms can also be done indoors. You can have a palm inside your house or office to add a tropical feel and create elegance. When growing them indoors, you should avoid changing pots yearly so that the pot does not grow too large to be contained in the room. It could be tempting to trim the tip of the tree in an effort to control how tall it grows - this should never be done. Cutting the tip of growing palm trees would cause them to wither and die. If you decide to make your palm tree an indoor plant, do not expect it to produce flowers or reach full maturity, since most of the palm plants grow into full trees before they can produce flowers.

It is necessary that you buy required fertilizers for your palm trees. Growing palms have the tendency of developing yellow or brown fronds if they have a potassium deficiency. Therefore, you should use a fertilizer that has a rich concentration of potassium and manganese. You can also add mycorrhizal fungi to the soil to enrich it and promote fast growth of the palm trees.

More tips on growing palm trees and date palms

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arnold_Hernandez

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