The power of suggestion

Clearly my evenings alone are wearing on me ... as my online shopping as hit a high over the last two weeks. 

First it was Summer is a Verb who posted about the Calypso Flutter tee ...

I can report that it arrived today and I adore it and its friends that came along.    I have already planned to match it with some red and white seersucker shorts for our going away pool party on Friday evening!  If Alice suggests it ... one must indulge ... right?

Then it was Sheridan French and her post on summer bags that sucked me in next. 

(courtesy of Sheridan French)

Wouldn't you fall in love with #2?  I sure did!  It arrived today and is even cuter in person than in any photo!!!

I should keep my spending in check before Lawyer lands tomorrow ...

No need to be in the dog house during his 10 days home!!!

xo,
MPM

New found romance ...

Lawyer and I have been married for almost 16 years.  I adore him ... but as all couples do we have our differences.  I am emotional and love to talk and he is stoic, sensible and intensely private.  I gush my feelings and thoughts ... he keeps his close to his chest. 

This is an ongoing debate in our marriage.  I show my love by cards, notes, texts and words ... he shows his by acts of service.  He is known for cooking and cleaning for hours just to say I love you.  I will write out a lengthy I love and adore you and then want to sit and talk about it for days.  He would rather gag!

Enter the two state marriage.  I live in Georgia ... him in Kansas!  And all of a sudden I have more romance.  He can't do things for me and is forced to talk.  I couldn't be happier. 

Exhibit one ... yesterday am ...

Me:  Good morning my love!
Him:  And to you my sweet.
Me:  I am ready for you to be home.
Him:  Me too!

Swoon!!!

And then this morning ...

Me:  Good morning shug!
Him:  Hey baby ... 2 more days!
Me:  I can't wait!!
Him:  Me too.  I love you!

Swooning again!

It's true ... the heart does grow fonder!  Of course he would KILL me for posting these.   I am telling you ... intensely private!!!

Oh well ... I can only hope when we are all together once again that it will be words and actions and not just actions once again!  I am adding it to my prayer list today!!!

Have a great one ... I am off to a glorious day with a bestie!!

xo,
MPM

Our house ... the dining room and living room

I love the color of the dining room!  I will be using this green again in the new house.  I am hoping and praying the hutch fits ... it is one of my favorite pieces we own.

I will need to find another place for this piece ... maybe the entry outside the dining room.  The pictures will go in the new dining room along with some of my majolica plates. 

This is a huge piece but such a great one.  It houses so many treasures!



Found this fruit on my last trip to Scotts. 

Super cheap and exactly what I wanted!

One of my favorite pieces of my collection.  I love the detail.

The kitchen ...

Pared way down for the listing photos.  Its a great size kitchen ... but the counter space could be so much bigger.

another shot for you!

The built-ins across from the island. 

The eating area ... its a big kitchen.  This table was made for us by my dad and is six feet long.  It currently has six chairs but I could easily add 2 more.

Lawyer's grandmothers' 100+ year old desk.  This is his favorite piece in the whole house.  This piece is so large and hard to place but it brings him great joy to have it in our house!

Vintage aprons ... I love these!  Too bad I don't like cooking any where

near as much!

Hook inside the garage door. 

Hall to the laundry room off the kitchen.

Laundry room ... an entire post of its own!

xo,

MPM

Some Lilly for our new home!

Got a little package from the Preppy Princess last week.  I ordered some new tumblers and some koozies for our new digs.  Gotta make sure the new place has some preppy touches!

Cute new tumblers to add to our collection.  We have had two other patterns for the last two years and we use them daily!!  They are beginning to fade with so many uses and dishwasher runs!  But faded Lilly still works ...

Oh ... the daily Tab habit will look great in these!  So will the occasional 5:00 beer!  I might need to try one out at the pool this week!

Oh thank you Susan & Kevin!  I will definitely be back for many more!!!

xo,

MPM

Can't sell the house like this ...

Before ...

Don't you love the two beautiful mature fig trees?

After ...

... and now its just one lone fig tree.  It looks so lonely and sad.

Two sweet gums were taken down during a wind surge that occurred between three houses on Friday evening.  The one behind us, ours and the one in front.  All three of us lost trees.  One of the sweet gums landed on the fig and it is now flat on the ground. 

Our house was spared.  And I am thankful for that!!!

Makes for some uckly clean up!

xo,

MPM 

Coconut-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

(photo and recipe here!)

My parents arrive Friday am to help me with the kids going away pool party.  They will be making lots of trips back and forth to help out during our last month here.  And my Dad is coming for an entire week just to hang out with me while my mother is away on a trip!  Since thank you doesn't seem to even come close to being enough for the unending support ... I think its time to conjure up some happies!!!

These bars will be a great happy!!!  Both of them love cheesecake and blueberries and the coconut will make them even yummier!!!

I think I need to compile even more happies for the occasion ... time to make a list!

Time to hit the Life is Good store for my dad ...

... add to these some cards and some Jelly Bellys and of course some ice cold beer!  And I will need to run by Fresh Market for the blueberry scones he simply adores! 

And for my mom ...

a gift card for her kindle ... always a great choice!

Her favorite ... and a travel set to boot!

... add to these plenty of Caffeine Free Diet Coke and roasted peanuts and possibly a gift certificate for a mani/pedi if I could get her to relax long enough to enjoy!

I have shopping to do!

xo,

MPM

Charlotte's white kitchen

I had "coffee" at my friend Charlotte's yesterday mid morning.  I say "coffee" because she was the only one of us drinking it.  After yesterdays happenings I am laying low on the caffeine today while the anti anxiety meds kick in. 

She is currently remodeling her kitchen and going all white.  Currently she has white cabinets and grey accents.  This time she is sticking to the cottage all neutral feel.  She has amazing taste and I know it will be a huge success!!!  They start work as soon as she and her family head off for a few weeks in CT and Nantucket.  Lucky dog ... we should all have such nice digs during renovation time!

She was asking me what I thought about colors and most importantly the white cabinets with an off white/cream counter top and back splash.  I am a visual person so I immediately came home and hit the design studio of google.com.

Charlotte ... these are for you!

(via google images)

This kitchen is exactly what she and I were talking about.  All white cabinets and a warmer cream color on the counter tops and back splash.  And the table color is almost exactly what she wants.  And yes Charlotte .. I love it.  The color combination is fabulous!!!

(via google images)

This photo is to show the finish of the light fixture.  If you look closely you can tell that the light fixture, the faucet and the knobs all match.  So Charlotte ... nickel is the color your light fixture over the table needs to be!  Plus ... notice the black accents in the above photo.  Although they are gorgeous ... I like the cream and off white in the first photo.

(via google images)

Last photo ... notice the walls.  They are the buff/neutral color we looked at.  I love it.  Creates the perfect cottage feel with the white trim!!!  I say go for it!!!

I have a white kitchen ... or what I thought was one until I looked at these photos.  If we weren't moving I would change my walls from tan to cream and my counters from black to white or light tan.  I would leave my island black ... but I would soften up so much more. 

I know with your style and taste ... the kitchen will be flawless!!!  I adore you!

xoxoxo,

MPM

Just as soon as you give advice ...

I met a friend yesterday morning for brunch.  We sat at Flavor in Sandy Springs for almost three hours catching up on kids, my upcoming move, her upcoming birthday, summer camps ... and so much more. 

After chatting for a while she asked me if I was a yeller.  Do I yell at my kids, husband, etc?  And truth be told I'm not.  My mother yelled at me most of my life and I don't yell.  I don't like the way it makes me feel or the way my children look at me in response.  I have to be realllly mad and pushed to the very edge before I will yell at you.  But before you think I am a saint I have plenty of other issues ... pinky swear!!

We discussed this issue for a while and then moved on to other subjects.  I left her ran down to Phipps for a quick jaunt into Belks for some shorts (I had called Mint Julep and had no luck with the patterns I wanted) and then to Lenox Cupcakes.  On my way back north I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. 

I waited in line at the pick up window.  I gave the tech my name and then waited for her to grab the bag and ring me up.  She informed me that it wasn't ready even though I dropped it off yesterday am.  Ummm ... wth?

Apparently the new insurance carrier did not have my correct birth date in the system and even though my name + a current prescription matched they would not fill the rx.  Ummm ... I lost my s@#*!

I yelled at the tech, I yelled at the pharmacist and then I proceeded to ring up Lawyer and yell at him for not giving them the correct date of birth.  Then I burst into tears and insisted they fill the rx without running the insurance.  OMG ... I am sure I looked like a complete crack addict needing a fix. 

Just as soon as I gave advice on not yelling I lost my mind and yelled loudly at a number of people who I have now called and apologized to and will receive a sweet treat next month when I go to retrieve said rx.  Holy moly ... the level of embarrassment was over the top. 

It seems if you take one mother of three + one father in law + two Jack Russell's + unlimited tidying + enormous stress with an upcoming move and subtract her daily anxiety meds and she will come UNGLUED!

Good to know ...
xo,
MPM