Leopard Love

HER

Fall is the time for animal print.  These prints can be seen in a variety of items from pants and tops to great accessories.  Now I am an accessory girl.  I love adding a simple touch of something to an outfit because I feel jewelry and a good bag can put an outfit together, it completes the look.  So with that being said, I love leopard accessories, mostly shoes and belts.

Shoes:  Leopard’s classic color pallet of brown, black, and tan with a pair of black pants is such a great look.  Pair that with a nice solid top and some pearls, you will look so smart on your day out and about.  Even with an off white pant it can be a smart look.  I know, I know, I said I don’t wear white after Labor Day (Check out After Labor Day), but these are off white…I swear.  My mom said it was OK.  

These shoes are great.  I just love the look of them, I think I could use some more.

Belts:  Belts can do more than hold up your pants- believe it!  Leopard can tie together black pants with a colored top.  

This belt adds a nice touch with the leopard pattern which is surrounded by the two solid colors of black and pink.
Prints with solids, solids with prints, you be the judge.  Belts are the perfect accessories for those people that say they can’t pick out jewelry or bags to match their outfits.  You can add a belt to any pair of pants.  Colors and patterns are in, so just play around with the belts, you really can’t go wrong.

Side note: How cute is this brown bow belt!

Fall colors are everywhere from the shoes are our feet to the necklace (soon to be scarf).

Pick up a Tervis

HOME

I personally believe that Tervis Tumblers are the best things next to Styrofoam cups.  They really keep your drink cold on the hot summer days and your hot drinks nice during those cold winter nights.  Just the other night I made some soup and ended up putting in one of my large tumblers.  It was perfect, the extra noodle soup, a cold fall night, and a Maryland Tervis Tumbler.  What more could you ask for?

I have a collection of them in different sizes, but to be honest, I usually prefer the big 24- ounce because I need to have my Diet Pepsi and a good amount of it.  I can't function without my Diet Pepsi.

They make great gifts for anyone because you can personalize them.  They come in a range of different designs from football teams to Disney characters; there are even college designs.  There is something for every age. If you are looking for a hostess gift these cups are perfect.  You can get the cup and a matching lid and fill it up with a favorite candy.

 

 

Having the cup is one thing, but having the lid is the most important part.  If you buy a Tervis make sure you get a matching lid.  I always do!

 

You can find these great cups on the Tervis website, or in stores such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  One Tervis is never enough.

For the Love of Photoshop

HER

Photoshop is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.  There are so many options and different things to do using Photoshop the ideas are endless.  I personally have just become addicted to using Photoshop to create cute word art.  I made the banner for my blog using Photoshop.

Like I said I am a beginner, but it was easy to use once I played around on it for a little.  It is the type of thing that the more you play and create, the better you will become.  I am still finding new ways to change items or select them.  I find new short cuts every time.  It really is fun! 

This is something new I made and I plan on using it on the blog somewhere.

How cute!  Love the Maryland Crabs with the touch of BMorePreppy color.

Show some Ravens love.

Playing with fonts is one of my favorite things to do while I am using Photoshop.

It is a little early, but I will show you the latest I made for Halloween.

Now I really don't know what all you can do on Photoshop but I would like to learn and I am open to new and interesting ideas.  If you know any fun things to do or have any advance for a beginner I am listening. 

Living for the Weekend

  EVENTS

I hate to wish away my weeks, but I live for the weekends.  I really don't like wishing away my life, but weekends are when all my friends and I can relax and catch up.  I work hard Monday through Friday, but Friday at 5 is my time and I love it.  Every minute of the weekend is usually packed full of things to do.  These things can range from errands with mom and dad to date nights with the husband.  Family is the most important thing to me and I love to spend time with each and every one of them.

This weekend was family packed, mine and the hubs.  It was my dad's birthday this weekend so I was focused on keeping the party a surprise and running errands for the party itself.  Friday I left work and went to order the cupcakes for the party.  I, of course, picked some up to take home.  Too bad the cupcakes had an accident on the way home! 

Oh well, they were still good.  Thanks to Flavor Cupcakery!  If you haven't been to get a cupcake, you should go.  Plus, you get a free one on your birthday- how great!
They have two locations Bel Air and Cockeysville, so if you are near one, I would stop in and try one of these wonderful cupcakes.

On Saturday, my mom and I ran some errands like we normally do on the weekends.  We always have a great time together.  We were running errands all the way up until the surprise party!  It was a busy day. 

Look how great the cupcakes turned out for my dad's special day!

 Now just to get them to the party and set up before he gets there!

I think they turned out great!  Love the topper.

 So that was with my family, now on to the hubs side.  Sunday was spent at his parents house for the Ravens game.

Oh Ravens,  I am not a huge football fan, but I do love going out and celebrating.  With that being said, I don't have a lot of Ravens Wear.  (I am starting to collect things for purple Fridays)  So I celebrated with accessories.  That's pretty normal for me.  
YAY RAVENS!!!

Added alittle Kate Spade in there too. 

It was a fun, family-filled weekend and I wouldn't have changed anything.

Now it is Monday...back to work.  

Favorite: Kate Spade Edition

HER

Kate Spade has always been a favorite of mine.  I remember when I was in maybe the 6th or 7th grade I wanted the bags and wallets

Well it is safe to say my love for Kate Spade has continued to grow.

What am I loving right now?

Kate Spade Home

I registered for the Kate Spade fine china.  I fell in love with the Larabee Road Platinum Collection.  How can you go wrong with polka dots?  It is such a classic, clean look.  

They are such as cute addition to our kitchen and I can't wait to have people over to use them!

I have to say Kate Spade has such cute packaging.  I really love everything about the home section.

Love the color Pink!

Kate Spade Agenda

This is a new edition, you can read all about how tough it was to pick my planner this year in Dilemma: Planner Picking: Solved.

Kate Spade Jewelry 

  Every time I am in Nordstrom I have to stop and look at the jewelry counters.  I have to check out the Kate Spade.  I love her taste in jewelry.  I personally believe a lot of her pieces are classic, timeless pieces.  I know there are some that are a little different, but I usually purchase everyday wear items.

It is one of my favorite pearl necklaces, I have to say it was a good buy.

 The color is great and I can actually pair it with more than I thought!

I am loving these earring right now.  They are perfect for this fall feeling weather and how can you go wrong with anything tortoiseshell?

Oh Kate Spade you get me every time.

Kate Spade Watches 

Confession time- I have an addition to watches.  Ever since I can remember I have worn watches.  I mean I had all the Freestyle Shark watches in an assortment of colors, Baby G watches, the Roxy watch that had bands you could change out, I had a collection.  

So with that being said, here is a favorite watch.

 
Thank you Kate Spade for all you wonderful items.  

Decorate While Organizing: Magazine Holder

HOME

Cookbooks and recipes are some of my favorite things to look through.  A good friend and I went while Borders bookstore was closing and got some pretty good books on sale and I mean SALE.  They were practically giving things away.  That was a while ago, but after I collected these books and my binder full of recipes, I needed a place to put them.  I just didn't want them all mixed up and all over the kitchen.  Did I mention I like to organize?  

Anyway, I was trying to think of a way to display the books without looking messy.  I was looking around one of my favorite places, Target.  I go in there for one thing, just one things and then I leave with ten.  What is it with Target and that problem?  Well, one day I found these wonderful magazine holders.

 They turned out perfectly for my kitchen and fit nicely in the corner.  Everything is together-nice, neat, and organized.  They add a nice touch of color to the kitchen.  I have to say the next best thing would be a built in bookshelf in my kitchen.

Notepads: To Do Everything List

HER

I love notepads.  Paper products in general are hard for me to pass up.  Every time I see a cute notebook or notepad, I think I need it.  I am a big list maker and use notepads for everything.  What is everything?  Well, I make To-do lists, write about what to pack for vacation, write down blog ideas, put together store lists, really anything I can think of, I use a notepad to write it down.  I even carry a little notebook in my bag because you never know when you have to write something down.
Yes, I know there is a Notes app on my phone, call me old school, but I like to write things down.
Just the other day I bought a cute notepad from J.Crew. It was a need, not a want. (I think)

How cute is that notepad?  I thought it was so cute.  I am now the proud owner.
 Well you know how I said I love paper products.  Well these notepads are just the recent buys/new additions to the collection.

I have just organized most of the notebooks, notepads, and the must have, post its, and look at my very clean kitchen drawer!

You can also see my collection of pens and pencils.  I guess you could say I have a school supply problem.  Well at my age I guess you could call it an office supply problem!

Must Have Monday: Steamer

HER

I used to work retail and we had a steamer for when new items of clothing came out of the box.  Of course they would always come in a wrinkled mess.  Winter would be the worst with all the pants and sweaters.  But anyway, I would steam but wouldn't think twice about it.  

Well let me tell you.  A steamer is a must have for any household!

When we were registering for our wedding, my now husband was like, "Do you really need it? Who is going to buy a steamer for you?  And I responded that I just have to have it.  With no surprise, my mom's good friend got it for me for a bridal shower.  (Did I mention my mom has a heavy duty steamer that the stores usually own for their steaming needs?  No, I don't think I told you that.)  

To be honest, it is a life saver.  I actually look forward to using it and seeing those darn wrinkles come right out!  It's that instant gratitude feeling!

So in the end, to sum everything up, I personally believe that if you don't have one, head over to Macy's, Target, or anywhere for that matter and pick one up. 

Dilemma: Planner Picking: Solved

HER

I am sorry Lilly Pulitzer but I broke my tradition of Lilly Planners.  I have decided to pick something else this time around.  It was a hard decision and after much thought I purchased the Kate Spade Literary Glasses Agenda.

I really like it!  I feel more grown up when writing my schedule and fun times in this agenda. 

 

 It is set up the same way as the Lilly Pulitzer.

 

 

The months also have cute sayings.  This is the one for this month. 

 I am sorry Lilly!  But Lilly knows I still love it.  How can you pass up the prints and colors.  I just might have to stop by the store soon.

You Can Never Have Enough Beads

  EVENTS

Some, well most families during this time of year have schedules for football games or even their children's teams, but my family, we have the schedule for the bead show.  Yes, the bead show.  This is the exciting time when usually my mom, dad, and I hop in the car and head off to the bead show.  I know it might not seem like an exciting time, but it is a lot of fun.  I love running errands with my parents.

 The people that are selling come from all over the states and have some different things.  It is so much fun wondering up and down the packed isles looking at all the colorful stones and interesting clasps they have to offer.  

We pretty much go and buy the same items that we normally do.  Our lists consist of pearls, pearls, more pearls, spacer beads, silver beads, and of course clasps.  Some of our creations as we call them have turned out to be some of my favorite jewelry.  I love some of the things my mom creates.  

Here are a few of my favorite pieces.

 

This year I hope we find some good things, I could use a few new pieces to my jewelry collection!

Polished Love

HER

Color on you nails can really change your mood or tell people what kind of mood you are in at that time.  Nail polish is also fun to go shopping for.  The color options are endless.  But for someone like me, I tend to buy the same colors or shades. I feel like every time I buy a new color I can't wait to either go and get my nails done or try it myself at home.  I rather head on over to About Faces and get a manicure.  Nothing beats finding that perfect shade of nail polish and believe me there are perfect ones.

To be honest, I think I have a problem when it comes to buying nail polish.  I always forget the colors I have at home and sometimes buy the same color I already have!  Its hard when you are drawn to the same shades over and over again.

 It has gotten so bad that I now have a list of all the colors I own on my phone.  I love lists.

This really helps when I find myself wondering into Ulta in Hunt Valley. 

 With the fall right around the corner, I think I may need some new darker colors.  Nothing to dark and nothing to far away from my obvious favorite of pink of course!  I will let you know what I find the next time I am up there. 

Decorate While Organizing: Spaghetti Container

HOME

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.  I thought I would start the week off with some ideas for the home.  
I am addicted to organizing with canisters and other different forms of storage. I mean anything that can hide clutter is important to me when I am living in a smaller place.  I need all the space I can get.
 This storage container is for spaghetti.  I am not a big fan of spaghetti, but I do have a spaghetti noodle container in my kitchen, believe it or not.  Ok, so I don’t really use it for spaghetti, but I couldn't past it up when I saw it. I have been looking for a way to organize my cupcake liners and I think I found just the perfect thing.  

I love the idea of being able to see all the different options I have while baking. I have to say, having this container made me go out and buy some new liners.  I need some more colors.  I am in love with the Martha Stewart ones that I purchased from Michael's.

This way I can see my options of the liners and it doubles as a cute decoration in the kitchen.  The way I see it, It's a win, win.

Dilemma: Planner Picking

HER

Well it is that time of year again when the new planners are out.  They have been out for a while now, but I still don’t know which one to pick for this year.  To me this is stressful, especially when there are so many nice patterns and size choices.  What planner am I talking about…Lilly Pulitzer of course! I have loved these planners for years and always go back to them.  I even had one in high school.  I know what I am getting when I purchase the Lilly planners, but I think I could use a change this year.  But I am just not sure.  I have waited so long I really need one.

 

Last year I took the leap and went for the Jumbo Agenda and loved it.  At that time it was perfect for my wedding planning. But this year I am torn between the jumbo and the luxe.  I need to make a decision soon, I guess not that soon because they do continue through December, but I could use a new pattern.

Oh decisions, decisions!

Decorate While Organizing: Canisters

HOME

It is no secret that I love canisters.  I think they have so many great uses and look good in any room. Needless to say, I have a few around the house.  I personally believe they add a nice touch with some creativity. I recently acquired a set of three canisters from Crate and Barrel.

I love them!  They are great sizes for anyone and anything.  I have decided to put these canisters in my extra bedroom that I made into my closet.  I have to say they worked out nicely. 

So after I added the three, I went out and got this little one.

 

How cute? I love it!  I bought it not knowing what to do with it, but I soon figured out what I could do.  I decided to put the sand and shells my husband and I collected while on our honeymoon.  I think it turned out great.  It is now located in our living room as a reminder of the fun we had.

Have any good ideas for things to put in canisters?

After Labor Day

HER

I have a love of white pants, I mean LOVE.  I look forward to Memorial Day when I can break these wonderful pants out of the closet.  They always remind me of summer and give a nice refreshing look when changing from the dark denim colors of fall and winter.

I collect these pants every summer and when I find a pair, I buy them.  This year I bought 3 new pairs, I believe you can't have too many because you never know what will happen.  They are white!  I actually have a "going out" pair.  Yes, a little crazy I know, but I don't want to have dingy white pants! Nothing beats that crisp, smart look of white pants and a nice top.

With that being said, I am so sad to have to put them away until next year.  I have a hard enough time with summer ending and to take away the summer classic white pants, it puts me over the edge.  I am a strong believer of no white after Labor Day and this belief has been passed down by many generations.  My grandmother made sure my mother followed and my mother passed it down to me.  

One last load of all the white pants and they will be put away until next summer.

Let us have a moment of silence while closing the door on the summer white pants closet.