DIY - Souvenir Coin Magnets

Here's a pretty easy DIY that I tackled a few weeks ago. 

If you've ever done any international travel you know that you can end up with a lot of extra coins (the paper money you can cash out at the bank, but the coins, well you are stuck until you or someone you know makes a return trip).  Well, we had a bunch of coins from various places stuffed in a jar, so I culled through them to find the prettiest/shiniest/most interesting.  I then trucked off to Michael's and picked up some round magnets (I got two sizes, since I had some small and larger coins) and some glue that works on metal.  Then all I did was glue the magnets on the backs of the coins, let them dry and then they were ready for hanging stuff on the refrigerator!

It is such a quick and easy project and everyone who sees them loves how they look!  Plus, the coins aren't just hanging around the house as clutter, they are useful souvenirs!  Win - win!!

Under The Weather

I'm going to be M.I.A. this week, I'm not feeling well at all.  Not sure why, but sometimes you just must listen to your body and rest.  I wish I could rest in Santorini, Greece* (like I did about 5 years ago) but hey my living room will have to do for now.  See you on the flip side!

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

*If you ever get the opportunity to go to Santorini, run don't walk, it's so stunningly beautiful.  In fact I love Greece so much I want to go back and explore more of the islands (we only made it to about 3) and shockingly I loved Athens more than I did Paris (it seemed more "real" and "significant" if that makes sense).  I didn't see that coming since I have dreamed of Paris since I was little, but there you go.  Travel experiences surprise you sometimes.

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I've been on the road for work and for fun since last Wednesday. So today I'm playing catch up. The best part was that I got to see my bestie for the first time in almost 2 years! She just moved into the most gorgeous house in the NC mountains.   Here is a picture of the view from her back deck yesterday morning.  Breathtaking, right?

I went up to help her paint her youngest son's bedroom (he wasn't on board with the existing pink walls). We painted (and laughed) for 2 straight days and ended up with a lovely sage green room! He is now one happy 4 year old!  Oh and a side note, she made me watch the movie Black Swan, which was made in the land of suck.  Seriously what a pointless dredge.  I just kept pointing out that the best part of the movie was the fact that both Spock and Luke Skywalker's mothers were in the film.  Because everything eventually comes back to Star Wars and Star Trek.  Oh and I kept yelling "Where's Bette Midler?" every time Barbara Hershey was on the screen.  I hope they made her look bad in the movie, because otherwise she's had some bad plastic surgery, Bless her heart.

I also bought some of Garnier's B.B. Cream this morning.  I came home and put some on and it's pretty good.  I usually use Olay's Total Effects Tone Correcting UV moisturizer - which is awesome, but at $23 I wanted to see if there was a more affordable option out there.  The B.B. Cream ($12) is thicker and a bit more tacky to the touch than the Olay, but it gives comparable coverage.  I'm not in love with the smell of it, it's a strong sort of fruity/floral.  I'll give it a few more days and figure it out.

Have a great week!

Friend Friday - Vacation

Linking up with Katy at Modly Chic again this week for FBFF.  Today's topic is packing for a vacation.  Sadly, I'm not taking a vacation this Summer (boo hoo) but for the questions today I'll pretend I am ;o)

Source: ohjoy.blogs.com via Jenny on Pinterest

1. When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra?
Less is more!  I try to pack the most versatile items I have so I can get more bang for my packing buck.  This is especially important when you fly now because of all the checked bag charges.  I struggle with packing lightly, I tend to want to take more than needed (especially if it's a car trip), however the older I get, the less crap I want to haul around.

2. What are your must packs?
My large black pashmina that I use as a wrap and a blanket, comfortable shoes, a large, chic handbag that can be used for hauling things as well as a purse, and last but not least I always pack at least 2 more pair of underwear than I think I will need.

3. What are you happy to leave behind?
Cooking and cleaning!

4. Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase?
Pack super versatile items in neutral colors that you can mix and match!  Also, keep shoes to the minimum, I try to pack a max of 4 pair depending on the travel situation.  Oh and rolling clothes does help fit more into a suitcase.

5. Beach reading… what are you taking with you to read in the sand?
I'm super behind in reading books.  Right now, I'm smack in the middle of Bringing Home The Birkin by Michael Tonello and I love it!  Next up is either The Help and Water For Elephants (those are the last unread downloads on my old Sony eReader) - I'm so not up to speed on current literature.

Don't forget to check out everyone else's answers here!
Book image via Amazon.com

My Christmas Vacation

It occurred to me that I never let you guys know where we ended up on our Christmas vacation.  Well, on December 26th we packed up the car and headed down to Orlando, Florida for a little Disney action.   Well, let me preface this by saying the REAL reason we ended up in Orlando was for the Champs Sports Bowl, because if NC State goes to a bowl game, my hubby will be there.  We both went to NCSU but somehow I haven't been to a football game in years.  I actually enjoy going to a football game.  I like the game and I love our mascots (I've been obsessed with Ms. Wuf for pretty much my whole life).  But I digress.  We arrived in Orlando and man, it was COLD.  I mean freezing.  We had fun in spite of the record setting cold temperatures, you just can't be unhappy at Disney.  We hit the Animal Kingdom and hung out at Downtown Disney the rest of the time, she's just 2 1/2 and got worn out way too quickly.  When she gets older we'll hit up the other parks and she'll be into it that much more!  Here are some pictures.

Images via Moi

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the day, I thought I would share some pictures of our trip to Ireland a few years ago - I absolutely fell in love with the country! 

We stayed in Ennis and travelled around from there

Nope, didn't find the pot of gold - darn!

Now for my hubby's favorite stop on the trip - the Guinness brewery in Dublin!

Have a Happy St. Patty's Day!

Images via moi!

Lilly Pulitzer for LeSportsac

Check out the new Lilly Pulitzer for LeSportsac collection - only one pattern is available now (above), but a few more will be coming out in April and May. 

LeSportsac has done some really cool collaborations (I for one totally dug the L.A.M.B. and DVF ones so much that I bought more than a few bags).  The great thing about LeSportsac is that their bags are affordable, durable and lightweight - perfect for travel.  I use my DVF one for my diaper bag.  Even if you aren't a Lilly fan, head on over and check out all their other great patterns, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Images via LeSportsac

A little break

Well, the little one and I are headed out to visit my Mom tomorrow morning.  We were supposed to leave today, but the weather conditions around Atlanta and areas north were not so cooperative, better safe than sorry!  I will be MIA until next Tuesday.  The purpose of this trip, other than the obvious family time, will be to help her start decluttering her house.  She's not a hoarder or anything (is anyone else watching Hoarders on A&E? Fascinating and alarming!), but stuff has accumulated and gotten a bit out of hand, she just needs some help and I'll be prodding her along and keeping her on schedule.  I'll let you all know how it goes.  So I'm signing off until next week.  Wish us luck!!

Image scan via Allure September 2009

Let's Go! - Cumberland, Maryland

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and would like to share some pictures of a place my husband and I called home for a few years - Cumberland, Maryland. Cumberland is a lovely little city in the western part of Maryland up in the mountains (yes, Maryland has mountains). It's an often overlooked city in an often overlooked - except for Deep Creek Lake - part of the state. Surrounded by mountains, tucked in a valley, Cumberland used to be a quite large and busy manufacturing center. Times have changed and it struggled for a while before tapping into it's rich history and attracting tourists. The downtown is fantastic, lovely shops, historical buildings and restaurants. My personal favorite being Queen City Creamery, where you can grab a coffee, freshly made deli sandwich, and the best frozen custard on Earth! Here are some pictures of the city and it's buildings - enjoy!!

Let's start with Washington Street, filled with historical mansions and stately homes. The architecture on this street is amazing. There are some real showstoppers here!

Allegany County Courthouse with it's gargoyles:


Emmanuel Episcopal Church in the heart of the city with it's original Tiffany windows (yep, Tiffany himself designed them), this was also part of the Underground Railroad. There are tunnels and rooms beneath the structure that were once part of Old Fort Cumberland.

Some other pictures, including our street we lived on:


I really miss Cumberland and it's people, just a lovely area of the world. I cherish the time we spent there and all the fabulous friends we made. If you ever get a chance to visit, please do, the city and surrounding areas are not to be missed!