very pretty lips for a very good cause

I was recently introduced to Jessi Howell cosmetics. Her products look great, but I was especially drawn to her P.U.D. (Proud, Unique, and Determined) line. She carries deliciously rich shades of lipstick and perfectly plumping lip glosses. Here's the best part of all - 100% of the proceeds from her P.U.D. line go to Childhelp, and Abused Child Trust, nonprofit organizations that help victims of child abuse and neglect.

P.U.D. Pure Lips retails for $28. Free of synthetic dyes and colourants. I adore her "Determined" color! Five other great colors to choose from.

P.U.D Plumping Pout Gloss retails for $40 - comes in six gorgeous colors. Check out "Prosper" - it's simple and fresh for the summer! And best of all, it's for a great cause! www.jessihowellcosmetics.com

yay or nay?

I've been searching for the perfect rectangular "LOVE" throw pillow to add to the middle of my sectional. I know they're out there somewhere, and I can't seem to get my hands on one. Just today I spotted this incredible deal on the almost perfect pillow (you'll see why I say "almost")

Gosh darn that "s" and the "a" (which really does look like an "o", anyway). I love the black graffiti! I'm so disappointed that this potentially adorable pillow from CB2, on sale for a nice $10, says "save". Granted we're currently in a recession, but I would imagine that no one wants a reminder to "save" resting right beneath their elbow everyday! If, however, you're drawn to the word, then by all means go and grab your "save" while it's still on sale! cb2.com

a cow in the kitchen

I know I recently expressed how chic I think a chalkboard in the kitchen is - but here's another worth mentioning: Socialite Olivia Palermo's! She's so fun to hate, with her closet the size of a small country. And I simply cannot stop thinking about her fabulous apartment in the city. It's very hollywood glam, a little too unpractical with all the white (I'm sure I would have spilled something all over her yummy cream-colored sofa) but I adore her cow-shaped chalkboard in the kitchen above her stove.


The country feel of the cow and the modern zebra rug in the walkway create such a warm balance. And just for fun, here's a picture of a gorgeous art deco chair in her apartment:

The Pink piping is so feminine - and the shape is truly elegant!

Back to chalkboards - they're a great idea if you're thinking you want to change up your kitchen a little and they're really useful for to-do lists and recipes!

who knew cleaning up could be this adorable?!

I optimistically thought that the throwing-food-on-the-floor stage would have happily ended by the time my husband turned 28 - joking, by the time my daughter turned one. But boy oh boy was I wrong. My floor looks like a disaster almost every night. And there I am, left picking up pieces of macaroni - and washing the tiled, every-lil-spot-of-dirt-shows floor, over and over again!

I started to search for some durable floor mats and was so excited when I came across this one:


"Strawberry Fields Retro Splat Mat" by online boutique store Divas and Drooligans, is so cute and retails for approximately $25. 44" x 44", heavy duty, and available in eight more adorable, retro patterns! check out divasanddrooligans.com.

yummy treats...and zero calories!

Here's a deal worth checking out: Pottery Barn Kids is having a huge sale on their play food - over 50% off and so adorable!

check out these pics...



Made of soft felt, they have a huge array of foods - sushi, snow cones, take out burgers, and adorable spices! They retail for $19 and are on sale now for a cool $7.99 for each set!

Also, if your sweet little one loves tea parties as much as mine does, you'll be itching for this tea set too!



Made of cotton and corduroy (cute!) this tea set is on sale for $6 (originally $16). I love the earth tone colors! check it all out at potterybarnkids.com

what a clever kitchen!

My friend Daniella so graciously allowed me to photograph her stunning kitchen. There is something truly unique about it - her Subzero refrigerator and freezer are covered from head to toe in chalkboard!


While living in her apartment, Daniella explained that she was constantly writing reminder lists - if it wasn't written down then it just wasn't happenin (she's a very busy mom of four, mind you). When she designed her kitchen, she thought of a wonderfully creative way to jot down a note or two and add something original.

Here's a close-up

Yumm! (by the way her kitchen smelled so good!) And I love that it still functions as a magnetic fridge! So smart Daniella!

do you blabla?

Summer is around the corner, and do you know what that means? It means it's time to stock up on all that winter clearance for next fall! Blabla is a great place to start. They carry a huge array of clothings, toys, and blankets. Their products are very well made and very pricey. Now is the time to buy!

Check out these great sale items:


The "Mozart" Tee retails for $24 and is on sale now for $12. So adorable and original, made from hand-picked cotton and produced in Peru. They have a nice array of t's on sale for both boys and girls. blablakids.com for more t's. Check out their adorable winter hats, also $12 on sale!


Looking for the prefect gift? This adorable hand loomed pink and orange blanket is 100% cotton and on sale now for $35, originally $60. You're giving a quality gift at a great price! blablakids.com

pure and simple

It's interesting that with all the new trendy toys frequently on the market, wooden toys have a way of always being in style.


Belonging to her own kids at one time, my mother-in-law saved this classic toy car. My daughter loves to play with it! It's 100% wood, no dyes, chemicals, or worries added!

I know I've expressed my love for Oompa in the past and I couldn't resist mentioning their adorable Cheekeys Wooden African Animal Set!



The set of five retails for about $30 and is simply too cute! Makes a great gift. With the clean, modern curves it would also make adorable baby room decor! Check out www.oompa.com.

*Save 10% when you spend $50 or more on your first order - coupon code PN2009.

april showers aren't lookin too bad

One sad rainy day at the pediatricians office, I spotted the most fantastic rain boots! They came just below the knee and had that authentic, I-just-fed-my-horse look I was looking for. I squinted away to read the brand (I really should have just asked!) and later on that very same day I ventured off to find them...

Hunter "Original" retails for approximately $100 and well worth every penny! Originally designed for Scotland's unpredictable weather and sold in a variety of stores (from REI to Nordstoms!) I know they're a bit pricey for rain boots but they're well worth it! I absolutely live in mine. They come in a ton of great colors. I own a black pair but am itching for a pair of the "Dolphin" or "Merlot" colored ones! They don't look as militant after a couple wears - the shininess fades substantially for a more "worn" look. I should mention that in the winter you most definitely need warm socks to wear under. Hunter sells their own socks, "Wellys" that fit nicely inside, and come in a huge array of colors to mix and match - retail for about $36.

If you're looking for something slightly chicer but with the same Hunter quality, check these out:


The Jimmy Choo "Hunter" Rain Boot - These pretty things don't come cheap - approx $400. Here's to daydreaming!

hair to stay

I must say I am very apprehensive when it comes to buying my daughter hair clips - with good reasons: 1. they are always overpriced. 2. some just look so darn cheesy (don't do to others as you wouldn't want done to yourself). 3. I'm the queen of breaking clips! (don't let me borrow your fish clip if you ever want to see it again). 4. My daughter finds enjoyment in pulling them out of her hair.


In search of the perfect clips for her daughter (who had just a wee bit of hair), Anna, a mom from Seattle, created Moo G Clips.

Anna's adorable daughter, inspecting the clips!

a yummy, refreshing assortment of snap and clippies

With Moo G's genius no slip grip, these chic lil creations aren't goin anywhere! You'll get carried away just checking out the huge selection of appliques, bows, and snap and clippies - moogclips.com. Makes a great gift! High quality, very well made and really decently priced - an adorable applique clip costs $4!

books never looked so good

I know I've expressed my love for Etsy in the past - and here's another great shop I am so excited about - Pillowhappy! Her work is fabulous and so unique. I have my eye on her "Modern Poppy Bookends."


Retails for $22 for a set of two. Would make a great gift! I love that they don't look like your average serious bookends - they really are so chic: etsy.com. Her blue pairs and purple eggplant bookends are worth taking a look at as well. At first I thought they would look fantastic on a clear acrylic shelf - and I'm sure they still would, but then I saw this:

I fully understand that not everyone will appreciate the color coordination in the same way I do, but this "Viktor/Stodis" wall shelf from Ikea (ikea.com) really does work. It retails for about $6 and is the perfect size; length - 29.5" and depth - 11". While the mere thought of going to Ikea with a 16 month old really frightens me, it's worth it for items like this (I'll have to bring lots of snacks). You'll have to bring your bookends with you to mix and match.

Quick Tip: If you go with both colorful bookends and a colorful bookshelf, keep the book-cover colors as neutral as possible - it's much more pleasant on the eye and will enhance the richness of your shelf and bookends. Go with more colorful books if you choose a more neutral shelf.

talk about stretching your dollar

Besides the warm sun beaming down and lots and lots of outdoor playing, the spring and summer are great times to check out yard sales. This past summer, my husband and I stopped off at a garage sale around our neighborhood. It's easy to spot the junk - and it's easy to get caught up in the junk - so make sure you walk right by the items that are going to clutter your space. Any item you are contemplating needs to have a known spot for your home or replace an item you are getting rid of (oh how I wish I had the space for that old school desk!)

We happened to come across a guy who was moving and he just wanted to get rid of his "junk". My husband was checking out some tool and I immediately ran over to this fantastic white lamp and guarded it with my life.

Before.

The owner priced it at a wopping dollar and when he saw that the toggle on/off switch was damaged, he felt bad and sold it for 75 cents! A huge victory party was going on in my head! should I mention that the light bulb that came with it costs more? what a steal! It came with an outdated lamp shade - I thought I could run to Target and throw a modern $25 shade on it - it didn't work out that way.

The obstacle: the neck of the lamp is extremely long - and shades with the length of a foot or longer are hard to find in stores like Target, Walmart, etc. Annoyed, I ventured off to the local lighting store and was so glad. They were super helpful there and helped me try shades until I found the perfect one.

After.

Because the linen, handmade shade was so large, it retailed at $55 dollars - not exactly what I had in mind when I first purchased the lamp (I could buy two at Target for that price) but well worth it in the end. I love the look of a classic lamp updated with a modern drum shade. And because it was white, it was the perfect accent piece I was looking for to bring some life into the room and contrasted perfectly with my black side table. Have fun and keep your eyes on the lookout this season!