Heeyyyyy

Was I missed?

-crickets-

Yeah I didn't think that anyone had noticed that I've been an absent blogger.

　

So during the past few weeks:

- I celebrated my birthday (FYI it's a week long event with much fanfare and alcohol)

- Vacationed in a foreign country which resulted in a bacterial infection from said country

side note - when they say don't drink the water.. that's fo reals

As for fluffing the nest:

- I organized all my kitchen cabinets

- Painted my sons room (thankfully I no longer need to wear sunglasses in his room, it was LEMON yellow.. my foot went down at the same time I put the rail molding up and painted his room a calming blue and green)

- Started a gallery wall with the kiddos art work (luv that wall, seriously like amaze-ball idea)

xo - Shana

Birthday Musings

With less than a week to go (6 days to be precise) until it is my birthday, I decided to put together a couple little objets de desir: 

　

　

1. Lilly Pulitzer Carrie dress .. need I say more. "The perfect formula: sweeping floor length dress + beautiful color = DRAMA" I couldn't have said it better myself Lilly. I will continue to contemplate myself lounging poolside in this fabulous frock.

2. Tiffany Metro bangle - I wouldn't want to be too ostentatious so I'd only buy three (one in each type of gold) to be worn while running errands and schlepping the kiddos around town.

3. Kate Spade Frankie shoe - crystal embellished gold sandals, nuff said.

My fingers are crossed that Mr. Man has picked up the subtle (is a megaphone subtle?) hints I've been dropping and at least  one of these items makes an appearance on my birthday.

 I am someone who loves an excuse to throw/host a party and what better occasion to celebrate than my birthday, oui?

Perhaps that is why I also celebrate my half birthday in November?

xo - Shana



Flair and Style for Zero Dinero

Wait is that even possible?

　

This past weekend I opted to transform the blank canvas that was the built in bookcase in my master bedroom. Rather then have it filled with a mishmash of books placed hap hazardously on the shelves, I decided to style it up and add a bit of flair.

Abandoning any form of alphabetical or genre ordering (HA like I was really going to pretend to be that organized); I went for the visual wow and color coded the book case in my room. BTW I really thought that this would be a quick little 5 minute re-do. 
My inspiration:

All the books were removed the dust bunnies were pledged to death..RIP. Then came the task of color coding and making it look somewhat cohesive. No joke I must have stared at my empty bookcase for a good fifteen minutes during which time I did consult the color wheel and Mr. Man. Mr. Man for the record had no input but did volunteer to take the kiddos to the park.

　

Away I went grouping and trying to ascertain which books helped achieve my vision of chic and sophistication. I intermingled stacks of books along side standing books, white objects were splashed through the shelves. I easily arranged the books on the shelves 6 different times before finally loving and deciding upon bright colors on the lower shelves while the top shelves were filled with white, creams, and pale yellows.

　

My takeaway notes from this lil project:

A successfully styled bookcase definitely takes work.

I spent a little over two hours arranging and rearranging .. so much to my 5 minute estimate

I was able to put together a box of books to donate .. good deed

Bookcases to not have to be bland and boring

My bookcase wasn't even half as interesting as it is now. Hooray for the visual slap in the face (in a good way of course) my bookcase now provides.

xo - Shana

Am I Even in the Right Frame of Mind

Sooo I'm thinking of taking a bunch of empty frames and grouping them on the wall.

 Is my boring wall going to go from drab to fab?

 Well I certainly hope so, especially if my wall looks one little iota bit like any of these walls below.  I do have my fingers crossed.. alright not really it makes typing difficult.

 My personal preference is for a monochromatic variety of mix matched frames.  Keeping it real moment .. it's a LOT more budget friendly to hang a grouping of empty frames then to buy art... just saying.

xo - Shana

I'm off to scour my local thrift stores for some frames .. wish me luck



Friday Fascination

So I might have a little and by little I mean huge preoccupation with the Louis Ghost Chair by Phillippe Starck.  I am aware these beauties been around for a hot minute but ohhh what I wouldn't give to own one or six.  I do have a perfectly good kidney I would be willing to sell.  KIDDING..kind of.

I'm not certain if it's the hint of Baroque styling or how light and airy they are, but me likey.

Now, if only I could convince Mr. Man that spending $400 is reasonable for a plastic chair.



xo - Shana

PS.. I want to wish all mothers a Splendid & Simple Mothers Day weekend!!

Fiesta Cinco de Mayo

xo - Shana

Shrimp it's What's NOT for Dinner

I almost feel that as soon as I posted about my dinner plans yesterday the universe then started conspiring and laughing. 

Who? Me? Paranoid??

Nahh.

I get home from my 9-5 (alright to be technical 8:15 - 4:45) and put on my new pink grilling apron.  My darling children Christmas this past year gifted me with said apron knowing my love of both the grill and all things pink. 

Aren't they such good kids?!

Very first thing I do after going through the mail, kiss said darling children, change my clothes is put on my snazzy apron.  As the weather last night where I live was bea-U-tiful I gather all my ingredients and take this show outside.  The shrimp is marinating I have a glass of wine poured...



See how happy I am in my pink grill apron?!



.. $hit I forgot to start the grill. 

.. "I'm out of propane??"  "Why did you not mention to me when I said I'm going to grill dinner that we were out of propane?"  "How was I supposed to know that we were out of propane if you never told me?"  I'll spare you the rest of the mundane conversation .. suffice to say I elected to run to Lowes to get a new propane tank (the wine was poured but untouched).

Lil bit steamed at having to run out for propane

Home from Lowes where i had managed to snag a parking spot next to the handicap spots.  I always do a little happy dance inside when I can park my car relatively close to the door. 

 Maybe it's just me?

The shrimp is finally on the barbie so I ask Mr. Man to keep an eye on the grill while I inspect the kiddos homework.  Long story short Mr. Man didn't hear me ask him to watch the shrimp. In fact the words "I thought you were in charge of dinner" came out of his mouth.



Flames are coming out of my head because I'm so angry



My dinner for the record looked like this:

NOT tasty

So Mr. Man in an attempt to diffuse my tension he rounded up the kids and took them to Panera.  Finding myself suddenly alone I was able to drink my glass of wine while watching the night stars make their appearance in peace and quiet.

Guess I got the last laugh   :)

xo - Shana

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight

errr I mean shrimp.  Tonight I'm going to fire up the grill and take my dinner outside.  I have been confined to the kitchen for too long and tonight I'm taking over my deck.  I can NOT wait.

 

xo - Shana

Taking it Out

This is finally the time of year when the weather starts to warm up, gardens start blooming and everything is green.  The outdoors is an often neglected area that is really an extension of your house .. so lets put away the weather beaten chairs and white plastic table .. it's time to make your outdoor room stylish, comfortable, and weather resistant.  Sounds simple.

The time and effort it takes to spruce up your outdoor living area will not only extend your living space giving you more room to relax and entertain but also inject much needed relaxation.  Being able to get outside to enjoy nature is good for your health (Dr. Shana says)

xo - Shana

Container Gardens

Looking for an easy and convenient way to garden?

In search of a backyard but reside in an urban jungle?

Allow me to introduce you to the wonderfully creative world of container gardens.  Containers can hold every type of plant from ground covers to flowering plants and small trees.  Container gardening is an easy way to introduce landscape decoration to a small space.

How tranquil?!

Where to look first .. between the gorg tile work and those plants

I love the idea of trading socks for soil and recycling old furniture

I am SWOONING over the ornamental grass in matching pots

An old birdbath with succulents .. yes please!!



These container plantings add perfect elegance to the front entry



Exuberant plants can add an over the top lushness to the entry

xo - Shana


My personal fave..

Green Wallpaper

It seems as though I keep hearing that wallpaper is making a comeback … is it still coming or are we there yet?? 

Anywho I am totally bananas over this GREENER approach to wallpaper, a way to have a room that is completely unique to your style & taste and cost virtually nothing…recycled paper goods as wallpaper.  This can be ANYTHING you love or just plain think looks good.

I mean we’re talking pages from your favorite novel, sheet music, maps, newspaper.  I mean how romantic would your favorite poems look?  How about pages from a Dr. Seuss book for the little ones?  The possibilities are endless but the idea is SO simple.  I’m planning on decoupaging the built in bookcase in my bedroom with pages from an old dictionary, as I L-O-V-E the dictionary.

Instructions:
~ Paper good of your fancy
~ Wallpaper paste
~ Sponge brush

~ Old credit card

~ Paint brush

~ Clear sealer

Lay the book page (etc.) face down on a protected surface, using the sponge brush, brush a thin layer of glue over the whole page, making sure to get the edges.

Place book page on surface and use an old credit card to smooth out the paper, make sure you are careful not to put too much pressure as the paper can tear.  The object is to get out any wrinkles or air bubbles.

Allow to dry overnight

Brush on a coat or two of clear sealer (non-yellowing) to protect your work, make sure everything dries completely between applications.

Completely easy-peasy and fab!!

xo - Shana

So Fresh and So Clean

I thought that today I would do a little break down of my cleaning habits.  Not to be confused with the big clean that happens seasonally.  I have a little bit of OCD and am obsessive about keeping a clean house, despite the efforts of my four darling children. 

My daily 10 second tidy goes a little something like this:

• wiping down the kitchen counters and stovetop
• loading, running, and unloading the dishwasher
• sorting the mail (paying bills & shredding junk mail as I can't stand piles of paper)
• wiping down the sinks in the bathrooms (yes with 4 children this needs to be done daily)
• taking out the garbage

 These little efforts help me to sleep easier and take about 20 minutes total; not to mention they go a long way towards making the house feel nice and clean. 

Then there are a few things I like have to do a couple times of week:

• vacuum the bedrooms and area rugs (my house is very high traffic)
• laundry

When it comes to wiping things down, things like the counters and stovetop, I l-o-v-e method all purpose cleaner.  The smell of the pink grapefruit is ah-mazing and the fact that it's a green product, so it's non-toxic and contains biodegradable ingredients.. fabulous!!  In fact I only use method cleaning products as I can't stand the harsh chemical stench that the majority of the cleaning products give off.  So that's the cleaning schedule that works for me.

xo - Shana

PS. method did not gift me any of their wonderful products, they don't even know I exist.