Spring in Saranac-our new neighbors

Shaun had the day off today and was at home to water the plants and mow the lawn, go to the driving range and in general enjoy the weather on this gloriously sunny day. All the while I was inside my office staring longingly out the window wishing for 5pm and a sliver of daylight left to enjoy when I do eventually make it out of the building.

Throughout my glum, paperwork riddled day at the office, Shaun sent me pictures of Meatwad flopped over sleeping, as is per usual for him during lazy days such as...well every day. He also sent me a photo of a new neighbor we have living in the bushes next to our house.

It turns out a robin had thought our little bush was a happy enough home to raise some baby birds so she built the perfect little nest and laid 4 perfect little eggs in the most darling shade of blue.   I'm flattered that she chose us to trust as her immediate neighbors and of course I'm hoping that all the other little critters in the neighborhood make their way over to our house to hang out with us and be Meatwads fluffy little friends.

A girl can dream, right?

 Is it wrong to want to paint a wall the color of those eggs? Oh, mother nature, you are such a superb decorator.

Pieces of a day: Black and White

Last night, much to my surprise although I heard it was coming, it snowed.  Only about an inch or so but it was still a delight to wake up to a little winter wonderland outside.

Funny how just last week I was mentioning how winter still has it's icy grip on us even though spring officially begins in 2 days.

With the snow falling everything is peaceful and calm but there are still things to do.

This morning on a whim, I decided to paint mint green accents on the mid century furniture I picked up at the thrift store a few weeks back. We'll see how that turns out tomorrow.

Today is time for new listings on etsy, cleaning the house, doing some crunches or some form of exercise as to not feel totally lethargic and gross and then possibly dinner with Luda later on. I still have her present from about 2 years ago. Although the Christmas presents are still in their cheery Christmas tote to give out to people at the climbing gym, this one probably takes the cake for longest running gift I haven't given.

1. Waking up to a winter wonderland
2. Sprucing up these nightstands with some mint green paint
3. Using the guest room as an etsy photo shoot area
4. Little things that need to be dusted
5. To Do lists and still-fresh looking flowers
6+7. Snow melting away
8. Today is a double grilled cheese day
9+10. Mom shouldn't you be dusting or something?

DIY Spring Wreath! Guest post at Marigolds Loft

As promised, check out this fun spring wreath I made for 67 cents over at marigolds loft and check out all the other cool stuff Natalie has going on!  I promise you won't regret it!

Pretty Things: Spring Outfits

So I try to be as utilitarian as I can on this blog, but occasionally I just have to be a total girl and talk about all the pretty things we, as girls, have available to us!

If you couldn't tell from my last post, we've got about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground here in Northern Virginia, but the sun is out and that's good enough for me to start daydreaming about warmer weather!

I've composed a list of pretty spring clothes and accessories from my all-time favorite, Anthropologie.  Spring is one of my favorite seasons for fashion simply because you can begin shedding all those layers of sweaters and socks and get ready for fresh air, flowers and plenty of sunshine. It's also a time for color to uplift us from the abyss of black and grey and brown that everyone seems to fall into when the first frost bites at our noses. It's time for light, airy, breezy cotton. Sandals and espadrilles. Floppy hats and flowy skirts. Spring is right around the corner and it's buzzing with life and energy. So here are my top 5 picks from Anthro for expanding your spring wardrobe and letting the sunshine in!

1. Whitmarsh Aptus Dress-$268. This is the splurge item on the list. I do believe that you can and should splurge on a couple main items for your wardrobe that you can use forever and pair with many different less expensive items. The thing I love about this dress is the oh-so-fun pattern, like someone just doodled it right on the dress! The awesome thing about dresses is that a lot of people don't know how versatile they really are when cutting them up into layers. You can wear a sweater over the top portion and treat the bottom as a skirt or you could tuck the skirt into a pair of jeans and voila! You've got a new shirt!

2. Paisley Trails Tee-$88. also available in a gorgeous gray with an orange, ivory and blue pattern! What I love about this dress is also it's versatility. I can see this paired with a skirt and sandals on a breezy day at the park.  But can also be buttoned up and paired with a blazer. I love the light, flowy material that can transition right into summer.

3. Sanoh Gauze Skirt-$148. I absolutely adore this color! It's everything that a good ankle-length skirt should be. Plenty of light gauzy fabric, a subtle pattern and that bright tangerine color that changes and otherwise very bland outfit. I like how this skirt can also be worn throughout the season. A nice picnic skirt in spring, a good beach cover in summer and great paired with boots for the fall. 

4. Ayden Sandals-$148. Can I talk about how much I love mint for a second? Anything in a shade of pale blue or green I am totally in love with at the moment. So aside from being that gorgeous mint shade, they have the perfect little heel that elongates your legs but is still comfortable enough to actually walk in.  I've had some painful heeled sandals and wedges and let me tell you, never ever again! These are cute, chic and easy to walk in. The fun tassel in the back is a nice touch and draws attention to that fab new pedicure you'll be rocking! 

5. Kerchief Cut Pouch-$78. I LA-HOVE this pale rose color with that beautiful floral cut-out pattern.  It's so pretty but basic enough to go with almost any outfit.  Pouches are such a great alternative for purses. Especially in spring when you'll be out and about shopping and enjoying the weather. I like to ditch the huge sack that weighs a million pounds, or leave it in the car. I keep the essentials with me: keys, ID and credit card, cash, lip balm and extra hair ties. I also need something large enough to fit my inhaler and this one being almost 10" wide is plenty big enough and plus it zips closed so I know none of my important items will fall out.

So there you have it! My spring picks that will hopefully usher in some warmer weather. You hear that mother nature? I'm shopping for spring, let's get it together and turn the heat on!