Blondie 'N' SC

Summer Apparel~

Hello lovelies....how are things? We have been keeping busy with all kinds of nonsense latey...complete and utter nonsense, like work and house chores and grocery shopping...but I did get some clothes shopping in on my hour lunch break....a girl has to have some priorities, right?

I know it is only February 23rd, but for some reason I am thinking about my summer wardrobe....perhaps it is the 75 degree weather we are having or the fact that soon my feet won't know what heels are, and i am sure they will be thanking me over and over and over for that!

I went with a co-worker over to the mall the other day, and in my not so usual fashion I picked up not one but three pairs of shorts!

**gasp**

Shorts?

I don't wear shorts, I don't know why, but when I think of summer clothes shorts are not at the top of the list...however these  were just too cute to pass up.

Just the right length for me as I have a 10 month old who still loves to be picked up and carried around. With these when I bend over, I won't feel like my booty is hanging out for the world to see, cause honestly my booty is not something the world needs nor wants to see!

For $39.50 you can't really go wrong....

Paired with this cutie {which is on the wish list for me}:

& of course you need one of these Lacy Boyfriend Tanks to go underneath {also on my wish list}:

and a girl can't forget her shoes...

I don't get all crazy during summer in the shoes department, a good pair of flip flops, my converse and bare feet due me just fine!

I also ordered two pairs of these Twill Shorts in the longer length I might add...so that makes 3 pairs of shorts for me! 

What has gotten into me??

I also love these Tank Tops from Target, for $8.00 they are fantastic!

A great length and really soft. They wash up well too!

I also have a couple pairs of these for summer...after all, they are made in my hometown!

Best sandals ever!

I am sure Anthro has a cute summer getup...

oh why yes they do:

& of course Mod cloth always has cute summer dresses:

 

 But I need to stick to a budget, so this summer shorts will be my summer apparel!

Now, my next task...a tan! My legs are entirely too white!

I might need to paint my toes too...just sayin'...pretty toes, shorts, sandals...and sunshine...Sign me up!

Oh and before I leave my blogger Bff is having a Sweet Little Giveaway ...best run and check it out!

Muwahhh!

 p.s. just a little tip, if you like the twill cotton shorts above, they don't carry them in the stores, but if you go in, they will order them for you and ship them to your house for FREE! ye-haw!

p.s.s. My 10 month old is almost walking...! ekkkk....my days just got a whole lot busier!

Change For A Dollar~

Change For A Dollar Movie.

We could all use a little CHANGE~

Please take a moment and click on the link...this little movie changed the way I think about a few things...I hope it does for you too!

Happy Monday~

                                              

Favourites as of late~

My favourite images as of late~

 My favourite outfits as of late~

My Favourite accessories as of late~

{Free People}

  {Cali Katrina}

 

 {Essie- Power Clutch}

     Favourite Etsy Items as of late~

 {Hunt and Found}

 

{Urban Farmgirl}

{Porfavour 110}

 My Favourite Songs as of late~

  

Gavin Degraw~ Not over you

Kari Jobe- You are for me & We are 

Sara Haze- Lovely 

 

My favourite quote as of late~

 

 
With love,

 

   {images 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8}

 

Kitchen Envy~

We re-did our kitchen a few years ago, and at the time I loved everything I chose. But of course as life would have it, our styles change and our love of one thing moves to a love of another. It is a never ending battle, but not one I am choosing to fight at the moment, as money doesn't grow on trees around our neck of the woods!

I found a few kitchens in which there are elements in each photo I would love to add to our kitchen either for aesthetic purposes or for function....Are you ready....off we go!

Get your "pinterest" fingers moving!

Hello yellow, pretty wood counters and rustic faucet...love you!

This picture has been one of my favorites for a while, something about the whole thing just draws me in...even the blue sap bucket with fresh flowers and the wood beam ceilings....nice and cozy!

For my fellow green lovers!

Two words....natural light...

Wait two more...

Baby girl!

{and loads of other words, but I will spare you...}

This kitchen has function...outlets in the island, loads of counter space, two islands, lots of room to move, natural light, a large farm sink, etc. etc. etc.

If you didn't know I might have a "thing" for natural light lately...Perhaps because our house lacks a lot of it, so I crave the sunshine and warmth natural light brings to a home...swoon!

Clever little pantry...chippy paint, loads of storage and, well here it comes a little confession...I don't like chalkboard walls!! I never have, for some reason I just didn't jump on that trend. I have seen some amazing things created with chalkboard paint like above but I think it all falls back to my need for things to look clean, and for some reason chalkboard walls just don't look clean to me...don't hate me, are we still friends?

I do however like the look of this, pretty, clever and useful pantry, and it doesn't hurt that the writing is oh so pretty!....and do I have to mention the sliding door?

no, I didn't think so!

This just cures my love of all thing vintage, you can't find charm like this without the vintage details!

I can't really decide why I like this one, something about it, the colors? the floors? the lighting?...someone help me gather my thoughts here...

puh-lease!

And, well this screams beach, fun, quarky, inviting...it remind me of something I would see in a house where my parents live...relections of the beach...but I know I would tire of the all that pretty turquoise at some point!

I think if there were one thing I could change out of my kitchen it would be our cabinets, they are that faux wood...I really want real wood cabinets, but those aren't in my future...{she weeps}...

I hope you are having a good week so far....

Things are pretty messy around our house, my mother can confirm this...but progress was made this weekend on our loft....once I get a card reader to download the photos to my laptop I can share...don't hold your breath as to when that will be!

Happy Tuesday..."Stay cool"...name that movie! :)

 {image 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 }

 p.s. I have a pair of Frye boots, these to be exact, they don't fit me anymore since I had my baby, if anyone is interested in buying them send me a note....I never wore them, they are brand spankin' new in the box! Size 7.5.... 

here is my e-mail: b l o n d i e n s c @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Heels for Happiness~

I have been doing a lot of soul searching these past couple days. Wondering if the path i am going on is the correct one. The decisions I have to make soon are the right ones. If the choices I make will lead to regret?....soul searching can surely wear a girl out...

I am sure many of you can relate.

About 10 years ago I graduated college. I graduated with a degree in Communications. I graduated Magna Cum Laude. I graduated. Now what?  I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life after college, but here I was with this degree, and I was suppose to be someone, I was suppose to do something great. I mean I did all that work, studied hours on end, and worked my butt off...I needed to make something of myself....

  At least that is what I thought. I acquired a temp job in which the money was good at the time. I moved out and found an apartment on my own. The first time I actually lived by myself, on my own, paying my own bills. I had made it....a few weeks later, I went and got two kittens because I realized living by yourself wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It was lonley. I worked, I did what I thought I was suppose to be doing. I had the start of a career, I paid my bills on time, and I followed the rules somewhat of being an adult.

Here I am 10 years later, sitting behind a computer desk, typing away on the keyboard in front of me as little words that make sentences creep up on the computer screen. I sit in a big office chair. I wear fancy work clothes. I go into meetings. I am accountable to someone higher up on the ladder so to speak. I make a good living. I can take care of myself. I made it.

Or so many would say.

Or would they?

Because deep down in this heart of mine, those fancy heels, the big pay check, the business card with my name and title that sit in front of me, all those things, they don't define who I really am.

Who I want to be. 

Where I want to go.

If I were younger, and had the knowledge I have today, I certainly would have done things different in many areas of my life. Do I regret the choices I made, career wise? Absolutely not, because as much I don't particularly like sitting here, while the pool man makes my children breakfast and takes my oldest punk to school, i have learned a whole lot about life. About being a grown up. About what it takes to make it in a male driven occupation. This job has allowed me to buy a house, provide for my children, and make adult choices. This job made me grow up.

However, these days, I look in the mirror and I see a very tired girl, who wished she had followed the desires that filled her heart when she was younger. A girl, who grew up, and put those dreams on the back burner. These days, I second guess myself on so many levels, mostly because I want to be someone my children look up to, I want them to always remember their mommy being true to who she is. I want them to use me as an example to follow their dreams. I want them to have a Mommy who was there for them, who mended broken hearts and scratched backs on request.

These days, all I think about is being "real", being true to myself, and ditching my heels for happiness.

So what am I getting at here?

In a round about way, what I am trying to say is, if you are just out of college wondering what type of job you should obtain, or a momma being pulled in two directions between work and children, or your children are now grown and you feel like you need to redifine who you are, or you are an 18 year old girl trying to decide between becoming an accountant like your daddy or following your dreams to go to beauty school...if you are any of those, lingering amongst so many choices and can't decide what you want to be, where you feel your next step should be taken...my advice is:

Follow your heart.

Follow your passion.

Trust yourself.

 Take a chance.

Take a risk.

I know typing this is easy, actually doing it is the hard part...it is a HUGE leap of faith!

However...

If you fail at least you can say you TRIED.

And damn it, there is something in TYRING, even if you fail.

The saying, "If you like what you do, you will never work a day in your life" rings through my mind constantly....watching those words hit the computer screen in front of me, motivates me...gives me strength to move forward and be the example I want my children to see. To run, jump and leap into that faith...those words give me the courage to ditch my heels for happiness...!

& get my grimy little hands on something more like this...

Yeehaw!!

Happy Friday lovelies....

{photo from my pinterest board}

p.s. I found a new desk for my loft/office/studio/grandma quarters...anything else you want to call it!

Hoping to have some photos soon...my house is a crazy mess right now...! 

Dust bunnies beware, this momma has Sunday off...you will be mine! All mine.....

muwah ha ha ha ha 

 

Pretties on Etsy~

I have quite a few items I have chosen as "Favorites" lingering in my Etsy account. Pretty little things, that I don't really need, but for some reason they just call out to me, I am resisting the urge to splurge! {that was pretty lame, sorry}

I have been giving some thought to selling again on Etsy, I find the shipping to be very time consuming. For some reason I am just not good at packing things up, it takes me F O R E V E R...but I have things in my booth that I thought would fly out like hot cakes, such as two kitchen scales, a postal scale, metal baskets, cameras, old glass bottles, old tins and toolboxes and they are just sitting..

So I am thinking I need to open my Etsy store back up and add a few things, see how it goes...can you tell I am talking out loud, or more or less typing out loud my thoughts....these are the things I think about on a daily basis as I sit behind this desk, with a keyboard in front of me that is missing letters because I type so much they have rubbed off, I also wonder how long it will take for my legs to fall asleep if I sit in the same position behind this desk....

But you came to see pretty things, huh? Off we go, here are a few things I have tagged lately:

{faded plains}

 

{lovintage finds}

 

{Vintage Junky}

How cool is this?

 

{vintage junky}

I got some of this vintage wall paper to finish lining my kitchen drawers...love it!

The deer is cute too~

{Olliebollen}

oh look that cute deer is following me...

 

{wesley asher}

My oldest punk stood on one of my hat boxes and smashed it, this one is calling my name as a replacement...love its shabbiness...



{gilly grey}

I am mildly obsessed with old pencil sharpeners as they remind me of elementary school...did I  just date myself?

{lovintage finds}

{rosie posies}

This little treasure just made me smile...very creative:

{post road vintage}

{sadie olive}

only mildly obsessed with old school chairs as well~

{old new house}

& in honor of Valentine's day...this sweet banner:

{my cherry tree}

I could keep going but my foot officially just fell to sleep!

There you have it, my favorites and my thoughts for the day...

After all this I think Etsy will be up and running around mid April {same time this momma will quit her big girl job, ekkkk}...unless I can figure out how to not sleep...which is a far cry from being possible, I heart sleep a lot...

Happy Thursday & thanks for listening! 

p.s. I am also mildly obsessed with this blog, she is so talented.

Pretties~

It was a busy weekend to say the least, and I still have one load of laundry in the washer, which will have to be rewashed, I still need to mop the floors and vacuum...it seems the house work just never ends.

 I am sitting at my big girl job this morning...reading a long list of work e-mails, thinking about the housework and how much I want to be at home to sneak in on my littlest as he sleeps and watch his chest rise and fall with the rhythm of his deep sleep...instead of being here....I also want to be the one to get the good morning hug from my oldest, he gives the best morning hugs...I love those hugs because it feels like a good way to start the day and I feel like anything I might have done wrong the day before got washed away with a good nights sleep and this hug, starts the day fresh and new...I need that today...but I don't get it, and instead of sitting here a'sulkin' I found some pretties for you!

Do you ever just look at a photo in a magazine, or on pinterest and something screams at you...like a great vintage sign, or a pretty baby blue ruffled table cloth, or an old weathered table you would know exactly where to place in your home if you could just find one like that? All of these photos have that "one" thing in it for me....If you feel like getting lost in these photos instead of doing your work, or thinking about the morning hugs you might be missing...I welcome you with open arms!

oh and I forgot to tell you....

He just wanted to pop in and say hello to you this morning...

And to see you if you wanted that morning hug?

{she snickers...}

 
 

 Happy Monday, whoops, I mean Tuesday {Ryan has me all flustered}!

 

xoxo~

p.s. I could also go for a day in bed watching "The Notebook", that movie gets my every.single.time.  

{all images {except the last one} from this sweet blog filled with eye candy}

 

My Younger Self~

As I drive to work in the wee hours of the morning, as the radio plays "Adele" in the background, I sometimes loose myself in thought as the cars zoom by me in the next lane. Lately thoughts of what I would tell my younger self linger through my mind.

Here are a few thoughts I would tell my younger self if I could....

1. Wear Sunscreen.

2. As much as you don't think so now, your parents are always right, and you might as well listen to them before you go and make a mistake.

3. Don't follow your heart when your mind is telling you that boy is not right. He probably isn't.

4. Ironing is a waste of time....

5. Feed your soul with good intentions.

6. Believe in Magic and the goodness of people.

7. Good friends are hard to find. Cherish their friendship & put work into them....those friendships will in turn last a lifetime.

8. When it is time to say goodbye to someone who is hurting you, don't delay because you are afraid. Saying goodbye will make you stronger and wiser in the long run.

9. Moderation is the key to life.

10. God doesn't open doors for you for no reason. Take chances, follow your dreams and if you fail at least you can say you tried.

11. Stay true to who you are...don't change for anyone. You are you, embrace that completely.

12. No one is perfect, why should you expect yourself to be.

13. People don't change. Don't get caught up in a relationship with intentions of changing someone. Find someone in which you can love without always wanting to change them.

14. Finish school. Find what really interests you. Acquire a job in which you love...you will never work a day in your life if you love what you do!

15. Love yourself...always.

{now she is a smart girl!}

If I had known most of these when I was 20 or so, I am sure I wouldn't have made so many mistakes in my life or wasted time ironing my favorite dress for work...sure I have learned many lessons, some really hard to swallow...but just knowing a few of these little gems would have made life a little easier...

And maybe I would be a little less "wrinkled" with life in the long run!

Happy weekend y'all!

 {image from here}

 p.s. hopefully we make it to the flea this weekend...a vintage desk for our loft is calling my name!

ye~ haw!

Coastal Details~

Good morning!

Most of you that read this silly old blog know that my parents live about 45 minutes from me and I try to take my boys down there as much as possible to visit them. They tore down an older exisiting home that sits a few feet from the canals in Long Beach, California a few years ago and rebuilt their dream home where on occasion you can smell the scent of the ocean as you walk out their front door.

I admire the work they have put into this home to make it feel as warm and inviting as possible. Over the summer when I had 5 months off of work for maternity leave, the boys and I would find ourselves spending a lot of time at their home, trekking to the beach, sitting on the porch for "happy hours" and gathering in their front room for movies and popcorn.

{I want these lazy summer days back....and, I really like this guy by the way!}

Lately, they have changed out a few things, and added a little more of a coastal feel to their home, so I snapped a few photos to show you some of the changes.

A new couch was purchased from Pottery Barn, and instead of spending boat loads of money on new throw pillows, my mom got to work on her sewing machine and made her own custom pillows for the sofa...

 Some black and white ticking stripes were added to a vintage chair...for some reason black and white ticking just screams beach to me...not sure why!



 In the bedroom I share with my niece when she comes to stay at grandma's they purchased a new bedspread also from pottery barn, but again instead of using the standard pillows that comes with the bedding, my mom sewed additional pillows to add some layers to the bed...I really like the cut little one with a starfish!

A few vintage coastal details:

uh, yeah it is....it calls me every morning on my way to work....{she sighs...}

Here are a few photos of their bed...light airy colors and pretty layers...

 

The Seaside Retreat pillow was purchased...but fits in perfectly with their coastal feel...the sweet kitty doesn't mind the smell of the ocean all that much either...

I don't think I have ever shown the floor of their master bathroom...I am in love with the tile & my boys are in love with taking baths in the tub!

 Although my oldest punk has a really hard time keeping water IN the tub!

  A few more photos of some of the coastal treasures you can find here and there throughout their home...

 ok, there you have it! A few coastal changes to a pretty cottage!

Thanks for poppin' in!

muwahh!

 p.s. I am thinking my loft/office area needs a revamp...I started a board on pinterest for Office/Loft inspiration and this little photo just screams pretty to me:

but so does this one...

& this one...

So as you can see I am totally confused on what I want...if you want to contribute to my confusion feel free to direct me to your own office inspiration pins!  

 

Vintage Settee~

 

I have a very rambunctious 4.5 year old.... Most of the items in my home aren't precious to me, which means if something breaks, I don't have a major melt down, usually I can move on. I do however, have my quarks, like dirty hands being run down the walls in the hallway, or climbing on the ledges in my house....or jumping on my couch, which happens to be one of my punks favorite past times.

I found this Vintage settee on Craigslist, and I fell madly in love with it. After a few text messages back and forth with the owner, I had cut a deal, and the settee was to be mine. I tried to get the best price for her, as I knew it would have to be recovered...and when I went to get her, there were a few minor cracks in the frame, and she was more beat up then I had thought...

I managed to get an even better deal for her....and as I loaded her in the back of the pool man's truck, he actually admitted to me that she was a purdy piece of furniture. This could have been a first for the pool man commenting on my vintage furniture...and probably a last!

The sette sat all through Christmas behind my dining table as a bench...it didn't get used and I actually, **gasp** forgot about her...until the other day, when I pulled her out to gaze at her beauty... the moment I took my camera out to take a few photos of her... out of no where comes my 4 year old...playing games with me while I tried to shoot photos...belly laughing cause he was being such a pistol...he is if nothing else, his own biggest fan and loves attention like a new puppy dog! Of course I indulged him for a bit...

A few minutes later, and some sorted smiles from me as my punk climbed over my furniture to get in some photos....I stood back and looked at her...trying to decide what fabric I should purchase to recover her and make her purdy again...and all of a sudden my punk jumps up on a piece of furniture that sits right where she would officially be going...he did some silly dance stomping all over my fluffy white pillows, and checked out the window to see if any of his neighbor friends were outside to play with...and it dawned on me...

In all her tattered, beat up glory, she is beautiful...she is perfect for my 4 year old rambunctious punk to climb on..and even though she isn't perfect, I think I am going to keep her in her raw state for a while...after all, she seems to feel comfortable just the way she is, and that....that is something I long for....

She went in her new spot today, and I look at her often as she is a good reminder that even though I am not perfect....I need to learn to be comfortable with who I am...comfortable in my own skin....tattered, raw and quarky.

She will make a good perch for my punk as he watches the rain fall out the front window and she adds so much personality to our front room! I think she is my favorite piece so far in our nest...but like always this momma has something else up her sleeve! {she snickers}

Cheers to learning to love what lies before you in the mirror...tattered and raw...not perfect but YOU! And Cheers, to rambunctious 4 year olds...who like to steal the show!

Before I go, have to say "Happy Birthday" to my momma, my best friend! Love you!

Muwahh...