{ i pledge allegiance... }

Off to celebrate America the Beautiful and all of the 

amazing things in my life for which I'm so, so grateful.

Cheers to all!

{ try-it tuesday: 4th of july crafts }

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. 

I especially love the fun and festive decorating options. 

These craft ideas, found at Martha Stewart, look relatively simple to create 

and would look great at any summer gathering.

Find more ideas + full instructions here.

{ love at first sight... }

vintage-inspired picnic ensemble available here

{or use this as inspiration to create your own}

Who can resist these lovable Valentine's Day finds? I, for one, am head-over-heels...

1. I love you magnets, lily pottery

2. Scooter notebook, le papier designs

3. Looove wall wear, nea wear {via kim vallée} 

4.On My Sleeve beach stone heart necklace, stonz

If I didn't already have my pink cruiser, I would be dropping many, not-so-subtle hints.

What do you all have planned for the weekend? The weather here is supposed to be quite nice, so I'm hoping to spend much of next couple of days outdoors...perhaps we'll even go on a bike ride. Wishing you a weekend of rest and rejuvenation! xo ~Suzanne

{ ciao 2008... }

I'm enjoying the last of our holiday sparkle before welcoming in the New Year. I wanted to pop in and wish you all a wonderful New Year's eve. May 2009 be filled with joyful discoveries, new adventures, and love. I look forward to returning with regular posts next week and sharing the New Year and all its promise together. xo ~Suzanne

{ happy holidays }

To my dear, dear readers,

May you all have the opportunity to experience the magic of the season as a kid again...even just for a bit. My little one enthusiastically, unabashedly believes and I plan to soak in every bit of that over the next few days. Thank you so much for your visits, comments, and inspiration over the last year--you've all been a huge part of my 2008.

I look forward to returning here Monday, January 5th rejuvenated, refreshed, and bursting with new ideas and inspiration for you all. Until then...Happy, Happy Holidays!!!

Love, Suzanne

P.S. To Maggie...my fabulous and fun aunt, godmother, and first sleepover: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! :)

{ wrapping things up }

Whew! Most of my holiday to-dos are checked off the list and I'm actually able to enojoy a bit of the holiday magic amidst the holiday rush. Today, I'm off to find a few stocking stuffers and will then put the finishing touches on my gift wrapping. I opted for a super simple look this year--brown paper packaging with red and white accents. I do, however, love theses wraps-- courtesy of some flickr and blogging friends. Perhaps next year...

red and white via Benita

Ez's darling repurposed Charley Harper puzzle piece gift tags

Cindy's feathers

Rachel's pom poms

Heather's fabulous gift card boxes {free how-to here}

How about you? Do you have the holidays all wrapped-up yet?

{ curb your enthusiasm }

Happy Monday everyone. Better late then never-that's what I say! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and am so thrilled you all enjoyed the interview with Katie . It was also nice to *meet* some of her friends--thanks for stopping by.

We spent the weekend decorating our tree-so fun! I just have a few corners of our home left to fill with some sparkle, including our front porch. I'm loving these relatively simple ideas for creating some holiday curb appeal...

via domino

use scrapbooking punches and paper bags to create luminaries {via bhg}

country living

via better homes and gardens

I love the idea of using natural elements and some lighting on our entry bench

better homes and gardens

martha stewart

better homes and gardens

How about you...have you finished all of your holiday decorating? 

{ it's beginning to look a lot like... }

Hi everyone...welcome back to a new and exciting week. Thank you all for sending your birthday wishes to Bella. It was a whirlwind of a weekend and I look forward to sharing details of Little One's birthday shindig with you later this week. 

via Benita

With the party behind us, I can now focus on our holiday decorating..yay! Don't you just love pulling out your holiday storage boxes and rediscovering all of your favorite holiday goodies again? I like to keep it simple... white twinkle lights, candles, and touches of silver and gold. I've also sprinkled in subtle blues and greens the last couple of years. 

Check out these inspired takes on holiday decorating...

Benita {aka Chez Larson} always makes white look so good!

San Francisco holiday glow a la victoria

{You must scroll down in her comments and read her secret to creating the perfect holiday glow-brilliant!

flickr friend manda captures the holidays in Australia

Lupin's amazing  snowflake curtain

potted white blooms are another holiday favorite

via Minna

via Benita

via Minna, who's wreath was recently featured in Country Living

Royal Buffet always gets it right!

oh, and I suppose a dab of red can be quite lovely as well...

d. sharp's simple, yet stunning. advent garland. {via design sponge}

and her lovely letterpress gift adornments found here 

Now...time for me to get to work!

{ perfect pumpkins: a cheat sheet }

gorgeous pumpkin display via Country Living magazine

{not likely to be seen at our house : )}

This weekend we are going to our good friends' 23rd annual pumpkin carving contest and celebration. It's always a blast, even if (ahem) we've never won or placed in the 15+ years we've been attending. Truth be told, my hubby and I both lack any talent in the pumpkin carving department. Our attempts are usually quite disastrous--which is why I was so thrilled to stumble upon these minimal/no-carve pumpkin designs and displays.

martha stewart via kimberlymichelle

Polka dot pumpkins via Better Homes and Gardens

The white and green gourds are so elegant (via Country Living)

Stenciled designs via Better Homes & Gardens

patchwork and paint pumpkins via Better Homes and Gardens

How about you? Are you masterful at the fine art of pumpkin carving? If so, perhaps you have a secret technique you can share with us.

{ the art of doing nothing...}

My plan, originally, was to dig in over the holiday break and work on getting my blog in shape for a January kickoff. Instead–with my husband on vacation, things slow at my 'real job', a fun–but hectic–December behind us, and my daughter's school closed–I opted to take a much needed break from the real world and spend some time cocooning with my family.

I had forgotten how blissful it can be to simply do 'nothing'. No alarm clock, no commitments, no traffic, no deadlines...Instead, we've indulged in late night movies, snuggling in our PJs till noon, constructing blanket and pillow forts and sitting fireside with cups of decadent hot cocoa (topped with whipped cream of course).

An unexpected bonus of this mini escape from reality is the opportunity it provided to declutter my mind and organize my thoughts for 2008. For the first time in many years, I actually took the time to reflect on the past year and think about and plan my resolutions/goals for the new year. Who knew that doing nothing would prove to be so productive??? I look forward to sharing some of my resolutions with you as I dive into my 2008 blogging goals. In the meantime, I hope this inspires you to take a break yourself and get busy doing nothing for a bit. Cheers to a peaceful and inspiring New Year!