Baby's First Halloween

Happy Halloween! Today is Luke's first, which is so exciting for me and my husband. We're heading over to the pumpkin patch to take some pictures of him this afternoon and then on to a block party at my Aunt's house where Luke will be dressed as a tiny Pirate :) How cute is his costume?! I found it at Babie's R Us, but I really need to learn how to use my sewing machine so I can whip up his costumes in the coming years, just like my mom would do for me and my siblings. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the day and have something fun planned! Are you dressing up? What will you and/or your kids be? And if you're one of the millions affected by the devastating hurricane, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Be safe!

[Pirate Luke at 6 months old]

[Me and Luke - I just had to buy him overalls for our night at the pumpkin patch!]

*******

Reader Giveaway Winner...

Last week I hosted a fun giveaway for one lucky winner to receive a copy of the new novel, If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster. Here are the results!

Thanks to everyone who participated! More fun giveaways to come this spring :)

Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis

Hello and happy Friday! To help kick off the new series on Bravo, Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, Bravo asked me to participate in a mini-challenge to give my own office space some interior therapy. They sent me "Workplace Therapy Kit" centered around a vintage design theme. The kit contained various products to incorporate into my current workspace to boost my mood and productivity. It was a bit of a challenge, but I think I pulled it off in the end. Below are some before & after snapshots and explanations of how I transformed my space with the items that were sent to me! I'm a huge Jeff Lewis fan and look forward to his new show - it sounds hilarious and completely out of his comfort zone (scroll all the way to the bottom for show details).

Contents of the Bravo Workplace Therapy Kit

My desk before - simple and in need of a little sprucing up

My desk after - I rearranged a few things, got rid of extra paperwork clutter and added some new accents. Sometimes changing things around and adding some fresh new items to your workspace can be just what you need to feel refreshed and energized.

I added a couple more accessories to the shelf above my desk, including the picture frame that came in my kit. I also added another book to the stack and the phrenology head (which I already had).

I hung the Wallcandy Chalkboard Decal horizontally to fit it above my desk, which I can use to scribble note and reminders.

The details: I added a vase of fresh flowers to my desktop for a burst of color and wrapped the gold Buckyballs around the top for a touch of glam. I also poured the potpourri that came in my kit into an empty candle holder that I already had. 

Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis – Premieres Wednesday, March 14th @ 9/8c on Bravo

Everyone's favorite obsessive-compulsive house-flipper is moving in with his clients. Bravo's Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis follows Jeff Lewis and Jenni Pulos as they move into someone else's home and Jeff does what he does best -- judge their flaws and redesign their space.

He'll observe the homeowners, diagnose their problems, and then take over their house for five days -- with the goal of improving them inside and out. Of course he does this by using a combination of brutal honesty, impeccable design, and a few unique solutions that only Lewis could come up with. His trusted assistant Pulos, and his loyal housekeeper, Zoila Chavez, are along for the ride to make sure he doesn't go too far over the line. This time, Lewis is not just redesigning a space; he's redesigning people's lives. Click here to visit  the official website for details!

Baby Bump Update

It's been a couple months since I announced the big news so I thought I'd give you an update. I'm 25 weeks pregnant and feeling great :) So far, I haven't had ANY nausea, there aren't any foods that turn me off (it's actually quite the opposite!), and I've managed to continue exercising, which makes me feel good. I do have my days of extreme fatigue, but other than that, I love being pregnant! The baby is doing well and everything is on track as it should be. My mom and sister have begun planning the baby shower and I chose the color scheme turquoise and orange. I haven't registered yet...I'm waiting for my sister (a mother of 4) to take me since I have NO IDEA what to get (who knew a baby came with SO much stuff - it's mind boggling). I've started thinking about how I want to decorate his little area of our bedroom (we're hoping to move into a bigger place sometime this year so he can have his own room). If any of you mommies out there have suggestions / recommendations on baby 'Must Haves" or favorite things (stroller brands, car seats, anything!), I would greatly appreciate it. *** Now I'm off to visit my girlfriend up the coast to celebrate her birthday and have some girl time. Have an amazing weekend! xoxo - Julie

Me @ 25 weeks with my kitty Oliver. I just bought the chevron pattered scarf last night at Forever 21 for $9! And for any of you mamas-to-be, I splurged on these Hudson maternity jeans, which was worth every penny! I haven't had to buy any other maternity clothes yet (it works out perfect that the style right now is loose, blousey tops), but I wear my Hudson's just about everyday, so it was well worth the investment.

Baby Thigpen at 20 weeks. I can't wait to see his little face!

Happy New Year

 “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”

-  Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 {IMAGE CREDITS: 1|2|3}

Is it really almost 2012?! When reflecting back on this year, it has been an incredible journey filled with happiness, success, ups and downs, new experiences and new lessons learned. I'm looking forward to what's in store for the New Year, one being the birth of my first baby :) I'd love to reflect more on 2011 next week as well as what my plans are for the year ahead, and I'd love for you to share too! More to come next week...but for now, enjoy the weekend, have plenty of champagne [and have a glass for me, since alcohol is off limits for me this year :(]and celebrate your life and all of the things you have to be grateful for. Cheers! xoxo - Julie

Happy Weekend!

 {IMAGE VIA PINTEREST}

My husband and I arrived back home from our trip to New York around 2AM so today's post is going to be a quick one. We had a great time and I can't wait to share a few snapshots with you next week. After I re-charge my brain and body, I'm going to start cleaning and prepping for our annual Christmas dinner party tomorrow night. I have 20 guests coming for a sit-down dinner, so I better get busy! What are your plans for the weekend? Any parties to attend? Or maybe you're wrapping up your Christmas shopping? Whatever you do, enjoy and have a good one :) xoxo - Julie

History of the Wishbone

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, I keep coming across dinnerware and accessories featuring a wishbone. This got me thinking about the tradition of breaking the turkey wishbone on Thanksgiving and where the superstition came from. Here's what I found:

 [Vintage Brass Wishbones]

"The wishbone custom began with the Etruscans. They believed both the hen and the cock to be "soothsayers". The hen because her squawk foretold the laying of an egg; the cock because his crow heralded the dawn of a new day. When a sacred fowl was killed, the bird's collarbone was laid in the sun to dry. An Etruscan wishing to benefit from the powers of the oracle would pick up the bone and stroke (not break) it while making a wish; hence the name "wishbone." It was the Romans who brought the wishbone superstition to England. Breaking the dried clavicle of a chicken was well established as a British tradition by the time the Pilgrims reached the New World. Observing that the wild turkeys which populated the wooded northeastern shores of America have clavicles similar to those of chickens, the Pilgrims adapted the wishbone custom to the turkey, making it part of Thanksgiving festivities. Thus, an ancient Etruscan superstition has became part of an American celebration (by way of Rome and England). Etymologists claim that the expression "get a lucky break" initially applied to the person winning the larger half in a wishbone tug-of-war."(Info copied from here). Interesting how these superstitions make their way through history, isn't it?! What will you wish for on Thanksgiving? (you don't have to answer, because that's considered bad luck, right? ;)

[Thanksgiving Platter]

[Wishbone chair via Decorpad]

[Grand Wishbone]

[Gold Vermeil Wishbone Necklace]

[Wenger Wishbone Chair]

[Wishbone Chair via Decorpad]

[Coral Red Cotton Braid Bracelet]

[Metal Wishbone]

[Wishbone Ornament]

Have a Festive Weekend!

Halloween isn't until Monday, but I'm sure many of you will be celebrating this weekend with your kids, friends and/or family. I'm taking today off to visit my sister and 4 nieces & nephews to spend some quality sister / auntie time with them :) I can't wait to see their little costumes! In case you're hosting a party or are in need of some last minute ideas, I rounded up a few that look fun and easy. What do you have planned for the weekend? Enjoy and be safe! xoxo - Julie

[PUMPKIN PARTY COOLER]

[DERANGED HALLOWEEN CENTERPIECE]

[EYEBALL MARTINIS]

[BRAIN CUPCAKES]

[EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME :) CREEPY BUT NOT SCARY...AND YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH JOHNNY DEPP, RIGHT?!]

New York (Part II): Adventures in the City

This has been a whirlwind of a week and I apologize for the lack of posts. I'll be back in full swing next week, with a lineup of fresh content, I promise :) Today I'm posting a few snapshots of the rest of our trip in New York...fabulous food, fashion and sightseeing! Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions on where to go while on my trip - it was a huge help! I barely had time to actually do any of it, but I'll be back again to get the full experience :) Have a great weekend. xoxo - Julie 

{Me & Ryan on the Brooklyn Bridge}

 

{Window Shopping}

{Loving this chair from Anthropologie}

{Brunch @ Cafe Gitane in Nolita}

{Beautiful church door (I forget the name of the church...}

{Times Square}

Where the Beautiful People Bowl

A fancy bowling alley? That's right people! The High Rollers Luxury Lanes and Lounge takes the very unglamorous game of bowling to a whole new level. This gorgeous venue boasts oversized avant-garde chandeliers, dark wood floors, plush seating, flocked wallpaper, sleek marble and lush carpeting...definitely a step up from your local bowling joint, right?!  I could picture myself with a group of friends on a Saturday night, bowling in a cute little cocktail dress while sipping a dirty martini...well, I don't know about the cocktail dress part, although I'm sure you could get away with wearing sequins and bowling shoes at this place. Anyway, enjoy the gallery of photos and click here to see even more of this beautiful venue. What do are your thoughts on the interior design, the overall concept, etc? Have any of you ever been? (It's located in Mashantucket, CT at Foxwoods Resort Casino).

IMAGE CREDITS: HIGHROLLERSFOXWOODS.COM