Friday, October 31, 2014

Five on Friday.

man, it's been a long time since I have done one of these.

{one}
Halloween
Happy Halloween folks! I am thrilled that it is finally cooling back down. I don't about where you are but it got up into the 80's this week. Halloween is just not right unless it is a little chilly and spooky out. I am also excited to get the candy out of my house. I think Reid and I are on a mission to see who can finish it first.
via


{two}
May Designs and the Rise School Art Collection. 
I know I have been talking about May Designs all week but this blog post made me love them even more. I already think this collection of notebooks is stunning but reading how they were created is just so touching. I will be grabbing these sweet little designs for my loved ones for Christmas.
Oh and def don't forget to enter this giveaway!!
May Designs Rise School Art Books


{three}
This dress.
so, I bought this dress. Remember it from this post?
I could not help myself! Maybe I will post an insta pic later. 
Oh! Did you know Factory is having a 31% off sale today?
Check out the sale and this other dress I am eyeing right here


{four}
I totally rocked it on Wednesday with this one. So much so it might require it's own post next week. 


{five}
My SIL Julia. 
Today will be a tough one for her. 
My heart is with her as she celebrates her amazing father, her beautiful family and her strong self. 
We love you Bruce. 


That is all for me today. 
Check the insta feed for some fun trick or treating in the cul-de-sac, a quick trip home to Williamsburg on Saturday and some Palmer and Libbie time on Sunday. 

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

xoxo,

CAD

ps. have to mention my link up girls!
Five on Friday: April, Christina, Darci and Natasha
Friday Favorites: Amanda


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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Powder Bath Re-Do

So y'all know by now that I work for a large wholesale company that sells amazing lighting, plumbing, cabinets and appliances.

This is all fun and stuff but totally sucks when it comes to doing your own home. It took me ages to pick out these lights and that is my j.o.b. Picking out a whole bathroom.....yikes.

My powder room has been on the "to-do" list since we moved in.

It has a slightly out of whack cabinet, awful top, and even worse light fixture. I had a new faucet laying around in the shed and we plopped that on there last year but she really needs an over haul.

and let's not forget to mention that it is small.

I mean teeny tiny.

 like 3x6 small.

like your knees might hit the cabinet while you sit on the potty small.

Here she is as she stands now...


see.... I wasn't kidding.


nice huh?

Acutally, the nice part about it being so small, is that there is very little we can do to it other than just replace the existing fixtures with new ones. So that's our plan.

Well want see what I have come up with?

This took me.forever. While I pride myself at being fairly good at helping other people navigate their way through the vast amount of product we offer, I suck at helping myself.

Powder Bath Remodel


The floors are great - they are hardwoods, not touching them. The problem with that is, I have to put a built in vanity back in it's place. So all those cute little PB knock off furniture pieces are out. Thankfully my company sells custom built in cabinets. Not so thankfully, along with everything else, the options are endless....

So I started here.....with this wall paper. I know it is a splurge but I only need two rolls for my doll house sized room. It took me forever to find something I liked and was neutral enough for resale in a couple years. Next I picked the cabinet color. I wanted something to play off the gray tones in the wallpaper and I thought a slightly darker shade would do the trick. The cabinet below is not the exact same one, but close enough to get the idea. Pair that with a remnant piece of carrara marble and we have this item checked off my list.  Moving on to the accessories. Because I love the wallpaper, I wanted a very understated mirror and I love the tailored look of this one. And it helps that it has a matching tp holder and towel ring, so check and check. Oh and did you see that little, sweet door pull? I am in love. Next, on the list is the faucet. I have been eyeing this faucet since my Charlotte days. I love it as much as anyone could love a faucet and in my industry that is a lot. And last but certainly not least, the light. I am not 100% sold on this.....again, I have commitment issues with it comes to lighting (because I live and breath it everyday I assume). This is the only light in this bathroom so I need something bright. I like how this coordinates nicely with the round base of the faucet, mirror and accessories. And that's it.

 Since Reid no longer cares....
(He is tired of me showing him samples and just wants me to "pick the darn thing out")
 ...I am dying to know what y'all think?

a special thanks goes out to Natalie and Annie for the link up!
Thoughts for Thursday

xoxo,

CAD

ps. Don't forget to enter this May Designs giveaway!!

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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

quatrefoil and gold.

great news! 
 we made it to Wednesday. 
only two more days to go. 

first thing is first...
who watched Jill Duggar get hitched last night?
this girl did for sure. 
only 17 more to go.

moving right along. 

We all know I had a blast at High Point market last week.
One of my main reasons for going was to spot market trends in lighting and home accessories for the upcoming year. I can say with confidence that gold tones were out in abundance and are here to stay. It is most definitely NOT your polished brass from yesteryear, but shades of golds that will knock your socks off.
 Just simply stunning.

Every showroom we went into, my eye automatically gravitated to the gold fixtures. Some sleek and  modern, some curly and traditional but most had this great sense of balance between the two extreams. What I found to be the most interesting was the use of quatrefoils in so many designs. It seems only fitting that this be a current design trend. We see the quatrefoil inspire amazing jewelry pieces - why not mirrors, lamps and lighting?

Gold and Quatrefoil Ligthing Trends

My SIL is swooning over the Cyan drum for her master bedroom...
what do you think of the gold?
I am sorta diggin it. 

and of course, don't forget about this May Designs giveaway, I am def diggin that too!

xoxo,

CAD 

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

lusting lately

At any given time, I have about 5-10 items that I am completely lusting over.

Meet 6 of them below.


This tote.
I have been eyeing this beauty for a while. Even reached out to a few other bloggers who have it and the response is all the same. Obsessed. I think I need it in my life.
hint hint honey - this would make a great Christmas present.

These pants.
I saw Annie rocking these cuties in her percious timer assited family pics and just fell in love. I really think they could be dressed up with some great heals or down with boots or flats. So versatile and fun. Who doesn't love polka dots? and they are on sale - win!

This dress.
I popped into Anthro the other day and spotted this from across the store. It was sorta like love at frist sight. The soft, textured, comfy fabric just lured me in. I love the unstructured style of the dress too.  No restricting belts or waist to get in the way makes this the perfect Thanksgiving attire.

This cape.
ok, what do y'all think? Honestly, I really wonder if I could rock a cape. I think if I could rock one at all it would for sure be this one. It seems to be such a classic and so mature. Maybe I need that in my life - who knows?

This blazer.
Let's all take a moment and swoon over this blazer. How sweet would this be with some great jeans and a statement necklace? It would be just perfect for a date night with you bestie girl or guy.

This necklace.
And speaking of necklaces, I love this one. I want to throw it on with just a plain black shirt and jeans or a lbd and heels. I mean, just how much fun is this lovely?

The Voice.
This season is amazing.
That is all.
period.

What are you lusting after these days?

Oh and don't forget that there is an awesome giveaway still going on right here! You can enter as many times as your little heart desires. 

xoxo,

CAD

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Monday, October 27, 2014

meal planning for the non domestic + the first giveaway!

By now it shouldn't be a secret that I am not super domestic.

Let's not even pretend that I actually cook dinner every night.

And reality is that if I could, I would eat out every meal.

But that is neither realistic for my wallet or waistline.

But what I can do is follow a good Pinterst recipe and make a mean shopping list when given the proper planning time. And let's be clear that "proper planning" time consists of peeling my lazy self off the couch on Sunday afternoons and actually doing something with my life.

I do find that we are most successful cooking at home when we actually have some sort of meal game plan and get most of the shopping done before Monday rolls around. We do wait and buy all of our Fresh Market stuff on Tuesdays because that is their sale day and boy is it a good one for chicken breasts!

 And nothing helps me more than my trusty May Designs Meal Planner Notebook.


This thing is a life saver and has become by best little bud on Sundays.  And please excuse her appearance, I literally use it all the time so she gets a lot of love and purse time.


The ample space for grocery lists and general notes also makes this the perfect weekend notebook. I have been known to have separate lists for Target, Trader Joes, Fresh Market, Costco and the normal grocery store all on one page. I'm nuts, I know - drives my husband nuts too! 


I love nothing more than sippin on hot coffee, purusing Pinterest for meal inspirations and filling out my weekly meal plan. It is so nice to lay the week out before Monday, just to get an idea of what's ahead. Makes me ready to tackle almost anything and not worry about scrambling for dinner ideas.

Speaking of meal ideas, here is what our meal plan looks likes for this week.

{Monday}  
grilled chicken breasts and couscous salad 
(I followed this recipe  and subbed out the chickpeas for couscous since Reid not a huge fan)

{Tuesday}
marinated london broil and a huge chopped salad

{Wednesday}
crock-pot chicken noodle soup
(I am trying out this recipe here)

{Thursday}
left over night - by this time of the week we normally have a ton of stuff left over in the fridge that either needs to get tossed or eaten by Reid. I normally opt for a bowl of kids sugar cereal.

{Friday}
dine out!

{Saturday and Sunday}
We normally make it up as we go along and crock pot something on Sunday to munch on all day.
I am thinking maybe this oldie but goodie.
It is seriously one of my all time favorite recipes and it could not be any easier!

None of these recipes are fancy at all or take more than a moments thought to put together. That is another tick I have learned in my quest to be more domestic. Leave the hard stuff to the weekends when you have more time to prep and clean up!

So....
Now it is your turn.
Surprise! 

I am thrilled to be giving away an amazing May Designs notebook to one of my sweet readers!
I could not think of a better company to link up with for my very first give away on Virginia Sweet. I am truly such a fan and personally love to use their fabulous products. Their notebooks and stationary also make great gifts and I am so in love with their Christmas cards. Not only are their designs gorgeous, but they are so eco-friendly and super durable. The combinations of patterns and monograms are endless and I am almost positive you will not be able to leave their website without ordering one or two percious items. Make sure to check them out online, on FB and on insta.

Good luck loves!


The giveaway will be up for a week and you can come back any time you like!

A special thanks to Biana, and Meghan for hosting their wonderful linkup! 

Have a great Monday y'all!

xoxo,

CAD

*Please note that all opinions are my own - duh - and my love for May Designs is 100% honest and real. They truly are a pleasure to work with and a wonderful product*

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Friday, October 24, 2014

I made it to Friday.


Well friends I made it to Friday with only a couple bags under my eyes.

||scarf||vest||shirt||

This has been a week for the books to say the least. 

If you followed along on insta, please let me first apologize. 
I am sorry.
 I know I posted a million pictures of amazing lights. 
I could not help myself.
There were just too many and they all needed to be highlighted.
I hope you did not mind too much!

 High Point Market was awesome and tiring all at the same time. I am so glad we went and that my amazing group decided to make this a yearly trip. It is so beneficial to be able to see the latest trends and merchandising ideas. Makes me want to tear apart every showroom and just start over.
 But I digress, per usual. 

As soon as I got home on Wednesday, I  zoomed off to pick up my nephew Palmer. His parents are in San Fran enjoying some much needed alone time. So the little bug is staying with his Auntie and Uncle Reid until we hand him off to his other set of A&U's this evening. Let me tell you....it is certainly different getting an opinionated two and a half year old ready in the morning instead of just worrying about yourself. I lost all track of the time both mornings and P may have had a slight fit about putting on his coat both days. But when his little face lights up and gives you that larger than life smile and tells you just how much he loves you, all is forgiven.


I decided this morning, while playing on the floor at P's daycare (because he did not want me to leave) that these moments are truly precious and these simple little memories are the ones I want Palmer to take with him as he grows. I am honestly truly thankful that we got this time with P this week. Seeing Reid play and joke around with Palmer warmed my heart and just shows what kind of dad he will make one day....a truly spectacular one.


We love being this little peanut's (and his baby sista's) Auntie and Uncle Weed so much!

Well, that's all for me today loves.

Have a "Spook"tacular  weekend!
(this was the theme at P's daycare this week) 

xoxo,

CAD 

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Planner Wars

While I am off gallivanting around High Point Market, I need your help:

I need a new planner.

There are many things in my life that I say I need but in reality, I really, really, really just want them.

Then that want turns into pining and then I break down and buy it.

But this is different....

 I really need a new 2015 planner.

A daily planner.

One as big as they came come.

with a cute front cover and monthly tabs.

and I am just not finding anything I love.

 btw....why is that?
When I am actually ready to spend money on something, I cannot find anything I want.

ugh.

Back to planners.
Here are the contenders for what appears to be an epic planner battle on blogs.

Emily Ley's Simplified Planner 




vs.

Whitney English's Day Designer



What do y'all know about these two gals?
Fill me in.

Right now, the Day Designer {DD} seems to fit my needs the most, although I prefer the layout and look of the Simplified Planner {SP}. The DD has a longer section of space for "to-do" and since I write very large and messy, ample space is key. I truly do appreciate the simplistic nature of the SP. The DD has weird boxes for random little notes but maybe I could learn to use them and be more organized. Also, I should mention that I plan on using this planner for work and play. I am just tired of lugging around my ugly, black, Franklin planner. Yucko.

What do you think?
Can I make this transition from two pages a day to just one?
Help me decide pretty please!

thanks and mwah!

xoxo,

CAD

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Monday, October 20, 2014

Fall in to the Weekends.



This weekend proved one thing to me.....

that Fall is in full bloom in Richmond.
I know that bloom is a term that is used for Spring but I just cannot think of anything clever to say.

Pumpkins and mums have been placed on front porches with love and burlap bows. Ladies are out in their utility jackets, over-sized scarves and Hunter boots. Men are all huddled by the tv, yelling at their team's coach to quit calling the same call every blanking time. PSL's are selling like hot cakes at the local Starbucks. Crock pots are being dusted off and put to good use. Halloween candy is being eaten by the handful. And the morning air is all delightfully crisp, making me want to stay in bed all day with the pups.

and I simply love it.

Fall weekends make me so happy.

 So happy to spend lazy weekends around the house, cleaning out closets, doing laundry and actually making dinner. So happy to get out and enjoy this beautiful state we call home and take full advantage of what Richmond has to offer. So happy to send some qt time with our family and friends. So happy to just be home with nothing on our calendar - there is a rare sight!

So happy just to have a moment and take it all in.

It is important to remember to do that sometimes, ya know?

I just don't do it enough.

Now, the weekend is over, we are back to reality. And the reality is that I am hitting the road once again.

But this time it is for work.

Tonight, I am off to High Point Market for 2 glorious/crazy days of looking at home accessories and high end lighting with my fav work people. Who would not love that?
Not this girl.

Make sure to follow along on insta for some awesome lights and home decor pics!

I won't be back till later this week.
 Don't miss me too much!

xoxo,

CAD


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Monday, October 13, 2014

happy birthday to the mr.


Thankfully Reid is turning 29 today and is now officially only 1 year younger than me. 

but seriously, what would I do without this handsome fella? 

He is my partner in crime.

My favorite couch buddy. 

The person who reminds me to eat breakfast. 

My best friend. 

The best uncle 2 kids could ask for. 

 The person that gets up in the middle of the night to let the dogs out.

He loves my family.

He puts up with me every day and def deserves an award for that. 

and a million other reasons...
the list could go on and on for days. 

So happy birthday Hubby. 
May all your wishes come true on your 29th birthday!
I love you to the moon and back and am so proud of us. I hope this year brings you so much joy, laughter and amazing memories. I love you!

MWAH! 

xoxo,

wifey

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Friday, October 10, 2014

TGIF

via

seriously y'all, thank the lord it's is Friday.

I have not worked a full week in what seems like months. Nor have I been at my house for an entire weekend in forever. 

I am over the moon. 

Since it is taking all that I have to get through this final day of the work week, I am keeping it short and to the point today.

My house is a wreck, my closet/laundry is in shambles, I have not seen my niece and nephew in 3 weeks and my friends in even longer, I cannot remember the last time I saw the inside of a grocery store or even made a meal and if you came to my house you would not know it was fall.

time to rectify all of the above travesties this weekend. 

Caroline and Reid's Weekend "Honey Do" list: 

Pumpkin patch / decorate for fall 

Clean out closet aka take crap to JR league Clothes Rack. 

Do two trips worth of laundry

Grocery shop for real and meal plan for next week

Spend some qt time with friends and family

I feel like if I let you know my to do list, you will hold me accountable on Monday for checking every single thing off this weekend.

Wish me luck and have yourself one heck of a grand weekend!

xoxo,

CAD

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Thursday, October 9, 2014

so this book sucks

yea, I said it.

And please don't chastise me for telling y'all that I just did not like Gone Girl.
 It is just my honest opinion.

The beginning was fine, it had potential. The middle was ehh and I hated the ending.

I made myself finish it at the beach this summer. Everyone was blogging about it so I just had to get on the band wagon. And I just could not get into it. I tried - really I did. I tried skipping a couple chapters, just to see if it got any better. Then I flipped to the last chapter, hated the ending but was so lost, had to go back and read the rest so I could move on with my life.

Dammit.

 I have been looking for a book to review for quite sometime and nothing has struck my fancy.
Other than the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day, now they will knock your socks off if you like Fifty Shades of Gray...holy cow.

And what is with all these book turning into movies?

I picked up If I Stay this past weekend in the airport and read the whole thing on the way back from Boston. It was fine, a nice quick read. I would recommend it for sure. And I guess I will read the sequel. As for the movie, I will have to wait till Reid is out of the house to rent that one....he would not be into it.

AND I recently saw the trailer for The Best of Me, a Nicholas Sparks book which I read about a month ago and maybe it is just me, but it did not resemble the book at all. I also recently ended my 4 year hiatus of Nicholas Spark reading, a girl can only cry but so much. Sorta over that style too.

But I digress... this post is really about the fact that I have read several books lately and felt like they all are just blah.

I truly love to read, in fact sometimes I am obsessed with it. I often stay up until the wee hours of the night just to finish a book that I picked up that evening. My husband thinks I am nuts, but I just can't help it. I get so caught up in books, especially sagas, that I will read the entire thing, then pick it up and read it all over again. Yea I guess I am nuts - it's confirmed.

So help a sista out and throw some good reads my way, pretty please. Ones that are not turning into major motion pictures.
I am just over it.

I am ready for my next big obsession in book reading.

Till tomorrow loves.

xoxo,

CAD


Thank you Annie and Natalie for hosting Thoughts for Thursday linkup!

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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

planes, trains and automobiles

*disclaimer: this post is super long. I applaud you if you make it through the whole thing - in fact I challenge you to finish it. You deserve a cookie if you do* 

This past weekend's adventure was a whirlwind of planes, trains and automobiles.... oh and a duck boat. We certainly cannot forget about that mode of transportation.

man were we on the move....

We packed so much stuff in to this long weekend getaway I don't even know where to start.

let's start at the beginning and go from there - shall we?

We started our trip by waking up at 3:30am on Thursday morning to catch a 6am direct flight out of Richmond to Boston. Let me just take a moment to tell you that 3:30am comes very early when you go to bed the night before at 11:30 because you neglected to pack a thing until 10pm that evening.

But the beauty of a direct early am flight is that by 8:30am we were in a cab on our way to meet Reid's sister Kristen and her boyfriend Josh at their hotel in Boston.

Evidently it was a very typical day in Boston weather wise. Cold, misty and dreary - nothing like our previous weekend in Maine.

But we made the most of it.


First stop was brunch with the groom to be. The real reason we were back up in New England was for Reid's cousin Ryan's wedding in Newport, RI. Since neither Josh nor I had ever been to Boston, we decided to add on a couple days and check it out.

After brunch, we bid our groom farewell and hit the pavement. We moseyed our way over to Fenway Park and then hit the T (their subway/train system)....that was an experience to say the least. The T spit us out right at Boston Commons. The camera immediately came out and pictures started snapping away.






After an energetic walking tour of the Freedom Trail with our enthusiastic guide Jeremiah, we were dying for a warm place to sit and get a snack. Quincy Market had anything and everything you could ever want to eat and served as the perfect place to warm our noses and toes.

Off again we went in to the cold Boston air but this time we did it by choice. Josh had heard of this place called the Frost Ice Bar. It is literally a bar made of complete ice. The internal temp is a whopping 21 degrees and they issue you fur lined capes and gloves prior to your entrance. It was pretty spectacular and a very unique experience. Sorry for the low quality photo below but they would not let me bring my DSLR in....
what clowns.


After we thawed out from the arctic temps inside the bar, the Boston night did not seem that bad. So we went for an evening stroll and were able to see the most amazing views of the city.
 Boston at night is something else y'all.





The next day we were up bright and early for our duck boat tour. I would definitely recommend this tour for your first trip to Boston. It did a great job of showing you all the historic highlights and some really fun random facts about the city. Plus you get to drive a bus into the Charles River - who doesn't love that? 


The captain/bus driver Professior Quackenbush (or something like that) has his real life captain's licence and is able to legally marry people on the water. I tried to get these two love birds to say "I do" but for some reason this was not the wedding they had in mind. Maybe it would help if they got engaged first.... 
sorry, I had to shamefully put that plug in there.
love y'all! 


Once we were on solid ground again, we hightailed it to lunch at Abbey Lane Food and Spirits in the theater district (which was right by our hotel). This place was divine! I was immediately obsessed with the lighting - duh - check out my insta pics here. BUT the food was equally as awesome. A another high recommendation in my book. 

 We then had to get our butts in gear and head towards Providence, RI for a rehearsal dinner. After a quick nap on the commuter train we arrived at the TF Green Airport and lugged everything we brought with us across 5 people movers, then into the airport, then across a million parking lots, then across the street, then into our hotel. I may not be the best person to take public transportation y'all...I'm just saying. 

Reid's Aunt and Uncle live on a beautiful stretch of the Narragansett Bay and we had just enough time to get in a quick bloggy photo-shoot before the dinner. Oh and the dinner. It was amazing. Fresh steamed lobster, hot wieners, clam-cakes and Del's frozen lemonade (with a splash of vodka added by me). A true tribute to classic New England food.
(make sure to take a look at my father-in-law down there....talk about a photo bomb)

| dress | 


The wedding was beautiful and I wish I had gotten more pictures. I don't even think I got one of the happy couple. She was stunning and he was handsome and they made the perfect bride and groom. The wedding was all sparkles with it's elegant blingy theme and the venue was amazing. It was wonderful spending time with Reid's side of the family. Reid's little cousin Emilie stole the show and my heart - she was just too cute and such a little pistol! 


Sunday, I broke down and encouraged/made Reid rent a car to drive us back to Boston to catch our flight. The thought of lugging all our crap across Boston again was giving me hives. He won husband of the year award that day because not only did we rent a car BUT we got to see Newport on a glorious day and spend some much needed time with his family. I love this crazy crew and am so thankful that Reid has such a fun-loving family.






This little guy was sitting next to us at lunch and I could not help myself. I sneaked this picture of him - I don't think he minded much and just look how handsome he is!
no clue what his name is.....


So you made it to the end.

Even I am exhausted from writing this post.

and don't worry, we have stowed our travel bags for the next couple months ... so get ready for some house updates, date nights and Richmond fun on the blog!

xoxo,

CAD

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