happy memorial...

Cover them over with beautiful flowers,

Deck them with garlands, those brothers of ours,

Lying so silent by night and by day

Sleeping the years of their manhood away.

Give them the meed they have won in the past;

Give them the honors their future forcast;

Give them the chaplets they won in the strife;

Give them the laurels they lost with their life.

~Will Carleton

{Enjoy the beauty of this life we were given}

Happy Memorial Day to all my friends and family...

j. crew love...

It is posted on my fridge...

my inspiration...my goal...and my 2010 bathing suit!!

I don't think I could get away with wearing it with all the bling...but I would love to try~

(the one piece on the right)!!!!

Some more J. Crew pieces that I am absolutely adoring right now...

no money to buy them of course, but a girl can dream.  :)

{wish I could wear shorts like these...}

images:  www.jcrew.com

dreamy...

I love looking at other blogs...

they inspire me...

Here are some beautiful...beautiful photos I have seen and am absolutely *dying* over...

L.O.V.E. the chairs, clock and rug...{not so sure about the head...but to each his own;}

{absolutely adore this room}

{these lights are TO DIE FOR...}

  

{love the fridge and the bench bar seats!}

 images: www.greige.com

lazy dog days of summer...

So...big news for the Hill household...

We are getting a DOGGIE!!!

& we couldn't be more excited to bring a sweet little new friend into our home.

Now, we are doing a trial run of a week...just to make sure that everything works out and E and her get along good...

Her name is Daisy, but we are renaming her Harlow... (l.o.v.e) 

She is a Stratfordshire Terrier (aka pit bull, yowsers!) and Lab mix, 8 months old, 35 lbs, and I am told sweet, friendly, energetic and smart as a whip!

Here she is!   

Harlow Hill...

what to do...

So...I just bought some new barstools for my kitchen island area (yay)!

Now, in a perfect world, I would get my dream stools...because of course, they would be going in my dream kitchen ;) 

This dream kitchen would be a slightly eccentric/modern/glam version of a shabby chic kitchen...complete with a sparkley chandelier, Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic white denim slipcovered stools and black and white accents throughout...

(somewhat similar to these past couple posts combined...which I know, are verrryyy different, but I would try to somehow incorporate the looks)

...{I love the intenseness of the black with bright open airy windows, paired with the bright white and tiny accents of color...

but, I also love the white and grey marbled countertops, which are placed on unexpected rough, or  vintage style kitchen tables...}

But...sadly, I don't have my dream kitchen *sob*...but, I do have a kitchen that I like! (& that is the important part). So, I got some barstools that I like as well.

They look like these, but a little wider and with black padded leather seats...(sounds like a new car;)

Now, I want to recover the black leather because although nice, just a little too modern/masculine for my taste...

My kitchen walls are a pale blue, beige large tiled floor, light wood cabinets with nickel knobs and black (mix) style countertops. 

I have a black and white damask wool rug on the floor and mixes of italian accents throughout...with knowing all that...here are my fabric choices...

what to do...what to do...

 

 

I actually saw a pale beige and cream (or white) polka dot fabric a designer put on a clients barstools and I LOVED the look...but still not sure.

thoughts...ideas...help...please...!!!

images: www.moodfabrics.com, www.crateandbarrel.com, http://www.lalalovelythings.com/

beautiful claudia...

 One of my favorite models has always been Claudia Schiffer...

She has this power to transform from sweet and innocent to beautiful or sexy in just a look...

She is pregnant with her 3rd child and posed for Vogue Germany recently...and I think she looks A.M.A.Z.I.N.G...

one day this might be me again...*dreaming*

images:  http://www.fashionologie.com/Further-Look-Claudia-Schiffers-Bump-Filled-Crop-Vogue-Germany-Editorials-8400344

practice makes perfect...

Braids...all styles...all sizes...

Now, I know this is not the newest "thing", but I L.O.V.E. braids!!!  I need to take more time to recreate these, but life gets in the way of my hair styling lately ;)

But, my friend Tracey said to me the other day that your hair is your everyday accessory...(you can't take it off)...so why not learn to play around with it! 

Here is some of my inspiration...

Ok...not braids...but, how stinkin beautiful is her hair! 

So...play around and you never know what you might find!!!!

come and gone...

Jeez...can I scream or what!!!!!!!!!!! 

Because boy could I!  Scream, Cry, Shake my fists at God...but all these things won't help (& haven't)...so I will continue to find the good in all of this draining waiting game...and keep praying to the big guy upstairs...:)

Throughout this whole adventure (I am calling it an adventure to save my sanity), I am definitely learning a lot...patience being the main thing.  Now, I always had patience for children..incredible patience with children...teens, adults, waiting for something I want...not so much. 

Most of my friends would describe me as extremely impulsive!  When I want something...whether I have thought it through or not...I want it N.O.W!  But, there have been a few key things in my life that have happened in the past couple years and both have taught me patience...(but in different ways.)

So...another month come and gone and we are still a family of 3...a beautiful, grateful, genuinely happy, family of 3...