Longnook Beach

{Longnook Beach - God's creations always amaze me when looking through a lense}

{can you see the ship?}

{perfect beach setup}

{izzie likes to eat sand.....mmmmm...sanddd...}

{my new hat!}

{ha - he's going to kill me}

{paul is actually a really good photographer!}

{headed to p-town for fireworks...}

{I bet my southern friends weren't bundled up when they watched fireworks...haha :)}

July 4th in Truro

Paul and I spent the 4th in Truro, a little town near the tip of Cape Cod, with his parents at their cottage.  Paul grew up in this cottage and I can't imagine having summers here as a little kid - I'm sure they were the best.  Our childhood memories of the beach are a little different, I spent mine on the gulf and on the Southern part of the East coast.  I can't wait to take him to the Gulf, but for now I love that we have the Cape to for an escape!   

{Sandy made blueberry coffee cake}

{Ross made french toast and eggs out on the grill}

{Izzzieeeee helped me with scrabble...actually she just slept...A LOT!}

{I was winning....but Paul made a sneaky comeback! I had to subtract my leftover letters}

{new favorite frozen yogurt spot - P-town Scoop}

{Sandy's new fav cupcakes - everything is pink!}

{the owner decorates with pink and barbies! ha!}

{he used to sell them from a stand and now has his own store! anyone notice his belt buckle? :)}

{Paul can't resist a scrabble challenge - Paul is a ridic player from playing every night for a year in Alaska}

{I picked up my second pair of Toms that night in P-town}

{paul and his other love ;)}

{schwwwwiiinnnggg}

{Paul and Ross}

{amazing view of the golf course in Truro....cliff and ocean is behind me}

{the cottage living room :)}

{cornhole in the backyard}

{the best way to do laundry}

{back porch - where we have every meal}

{tomorrow or Friday I'll do a short post on the beach}

Happy Hump Day!

A spin on the Shrimp Cocktail

Just in time for July - I have a new shrimp appetizer for you that is fun, delish, and easy! I got the inspiration for this app from one of my favorite magazines, Phyllis Hoffman Celebration.  The magazine gives you tabletop ideas, recipes, easy DIY projects....it is a great party hosting/planning magazine.

{where it all started}

{shrimp marinade: evoo, vinegar, soy sauce, and pepper (add anything else you like)}

{fresh limes}

{thickly sliced cucumber}

{melon rounds - a tablespoon to scoop out the little rounds worked fine for me }

{use a toothpick to stack the components}

{at the end you can decide whether you want to tie a chive to the shrimp for a finishing touch}

{I only made about 20 stacks - then served the remaining marinated shrimp on their own with fresh lime}

Then came time to decide how to eat these pretty little shrimp stacks....  We decided that it was best to take the lime from the bottom and squeeze it over the remaining items.  You can then decide for yourself if you want to pull each part off the toothpick and eat individually or try it all together (which was tricky)!  Either way it was a refreshing spin on summer favorites.

I am headed to Truro (a town on the Cape) for the July 4th weekend which is where Paul's parents have a cottage.  Hope you have a great Holiday Weekend - and let me know if you make this app!!

Last Weekend at Jenny's Capehouse

{my view on my run Saturday afternoon}

I apologize for not posting until today! BUT you will get a post today and a post tomorrow as well!  I have been a little busy this week but thankfully not that tired...probably because I had such a relaxing weekend at Jenny's capehouse last weekend.  We got some sun, went shopping in town, made a ton of delish food, played multiple rounds of apples to apples, ventured out to the local bar, sat around the firepit, ...it was a perfect weekend!

{french press coffee..very good and extremely strong..I was quite chatty and ready to run some miles after}

{banana pancakes w/ peanut butter & syrup - I love eating outside any chance I get}

{fire pit, outdoor shower (not pictured), lounge chairs, canoes...so relaxing}

{pic taken on my iphone}

{hidden bench - I love me some outdoors}

{played bay route beirut (paul corrected me) as they call it (or flipcup)}

now on to the food....

{shrimp marinade for a fun app (which I'll post about tomorrow!)}

{a delish summer strawberry spin on bruschetta that Emily made}

{Jenny grilling some turkey burgers}

{sweet southern corn - it's what the store said!}

{apples to apples - can you guess which card won this round?}

{an amazinggggg cookie cake that Jenny made!}

{molly, jenny, mel, emily, and me!}

While Paul was away....

...I stayed busy!

Paul has been in Yellowstone since last Saturday with Rob, his Dad, his HS friend Rich, and Rich's dad.  They go every year in June and this is their 6th trip!  He comes back Sunday and while I am more than ready to have him back - I have had a really great week "alone" in Boston. 

{caught up on my fav magazines and ideas for July 4th which we are spending on the Cape in Truro}

{Laura and I went to Jenny's for dinner one night - she is actually really good with the grill!}

{we had carb-free taco salad out on her back porch - still in detox mode from Vegas}

{packed for this weekend - headed to Jenny's place on the Cape with a few girls}

{over-indulged on my favorite salad in the Northend from Benevento's (had it 3 nights this week!!)}

{dressed up hippie for a "roller derby party" that Marcia threw - picked up my rollerskates there!}

{gave myself a mani/pedi for the weekend at the beach}

I've stayed busy but managed to fit in a few lazy/relaxing nights as well (aka watching marathons of Real Housewives (sorry Rob! - he hates those shows) and TrueBlood (addicted).  I am really looking forward to the the weekend away in the SUN (hoping the rain burns off! - it's been raining for three days here)...and when I return Paul will be back! yay!  Then the 4th, my bday, a wedding, anddd July will almost be over....  wow. 

Have a great weekend!!

How many "pets" do you have?

Paul and I saw this pitcher in the window of a boutique in the Northend and we both really liked it.  I decided to go by there last night and pick one up - only to realize that it was going to cost me $95!! That is not in Bostonbelle's budget.... I left a little bummed but hopeful that I could find something similar at HomeGoods.  However, I googled "whale pitcher" later only to discover my beloved pitcher was Jonathan Adler (couldn't tell by just looking at it like some people) - so the chance of finding it in HomeGoods is very unlikely. 

However.... I did get to thinking about how many "animals" I already have in my little apartment!! 

{Marcia's bumble bee spoon holder - bzzzzz}

{you have already been introduced to my elephant tea flower pot}

{and you've seen my eagle - he's a very good pet - doesn't do much}

{Marcia's starfish}

{and you have also seen the sweet little bird salt & pepper shakers - still love them!}

{although I did find these(cant afford either)..but I could love as well (and I now know are Jonathan Adler)}

Take a look around your apartment/home....I bet you have more "pets" than you thought! :)

Happy Hump Day!

Water with a Twist...of Fruit!

While the weather was absolutely wonderful this weekend in Boston (sunny, 70degrees, and breezy), we have had a few excruciatingly hot days up here in New England.  With an apartment without air conditioning yet (still need to get that window unit) and ice cubes that almost instantly melt in the heat, I needed a way to keep my water cool and refreshing.  Solution? Fruit!

While in Vegas, most of us spent our last day at the spa which was exactly what we needed.  They provided water bottles, fruit, granola, and the standard cucumber-lemon water which I seem to find at every spa I visit. I thought to myself...."why can't I have this everyday?" 

I bought all the fresh fruit I could find yesterday and cut it up into delectable garnishments.

{you can use any pairing that sounds refreshing to you...and it does not have to all be citrus}

{orange and lime - love the contrast of colors}

{currently working on my action shots...hard to do when you're alone!}

{mixed berry blend...you can use any berry you like} 

{grapes and cherries}

**quick tip: freeze the grapes, they instantly become ice cube replacements or a refreshing snack**

{my personal favorite, grapefruit and grapes}

Figs on Charles St.

I have seen the restaurant Figs during my run in Charlestown and I have been wanting to go for quite some time.  It looks adorable from the outside and I was pretty sure by the smell of it as I was running by that it would be a good spot. 

Little did I know...there is one on Charles St!  Amanda arrived on a Friday and we mostly walked around the entire day.  We explored the North End, walked to the corner of the Boston Common and then cut across to Beacon Hill and ended up on Charles St. - one of the best streets in Boston.  It has great small restaurants, an amazing Starbucks (intricate crown molding anyone?), adorable boutiques, and as many antique shops as anyone could handle in one day. 

We decided to get lunch on Charles St. and when I saw Figs I was excited because it would be a first for the both of us!

{it was insanely hot that day and fresh sangria was exactly what we wanted (along with a ton of water)}

{the bread is amazing - hard and crispy edges and lightly evoo drizzled insides}

{we ordered the salad special}

{best salad she's ever had!}

{watermelon, red onion, pistachios, bluecheese reduction, and a balsamic vinaigrette - amazing} 

{btw - watermelons are IN! they are all over the recipes in the June edition of MSL!}

{next we split a brick oven pizza - the bianco - fresh, light, and delish!}

{mozzarella, sweet onions, tomatoes, arugula, evoo, and balsamic vinegar}

{I love crispy edges on a pizza - almost to the point of being burnt}

{gives it a smoky fresh taste that only a brick oven can do}

{speaking of the brick oven - here it is!}

{the feeling of the restaurant spot is very eclectic, relaxed, "sit at my kitchen table" feel}

I really want to go back with Paul, I don't think he's been yet. 

Soo....tonight I am off to Vegas with girlfriends from Boston!! I am soooo excited to be poolside in the 90 degree weather....especially since it is supposed to be rainy and a little cooler here in Boston this weekend.

The catch? my grandparents are randomly going to be there this weekend as well.  Yup!.. Mammie (grandmother) and Poo (grandfather) will be living.it.up in viva las vegas the same time I am.  Somehow out of all the weekends we picked the same one to go to Vegas.  Something tells me we won't be going to the same places but I'm sure I'll try to meet up with them to say heyyyyyy and maybe get a free breakfast ;)  But I must say I am so proud that all of my grandparents are adventurous and love to travel!

...Paul couldn't be happier. 

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm not taking my camera to that crazy town so I won't have any posts on it... but I'll still be posting next week!

A visit to Boston

Amanda visited! :)

Amanda I have known each other since we were freshman at Auburn.  We both pledged Sigma Kappa and became "pledge sisters" sighhhh.  We also both majored in accounting at Auburn and experienced many, many, many late nights in the library together.  We both wound up working for Deloitte in Atlanta, where we interned together and started our careers together.  She was also with me the first time I met Paul (for those of you who don't know that story - we'll have to fill you in some other time) ;)

Needless to say a great friendship formed through the years and I was so happy when she booked her flight to come visit!  She told me she wanted to do everything that is "Boston" so I started planning away!

We.... walked the city (literally), had lunch on charles st., watched the bruins win at a very "boston" bar, ate pizza!, went to the cape, had breakfast at cafe nuovo, shopped on newbury, ate dinner in the south end, went to harvard square, got lost!, and finally went to a red sox game on memorial day! phewww - we were a little exhausted by the 3rd day (and she stayed 4).

{I love this statue in Quincy Market - always have}

{"I feel so American" - Amanda}

{Charles St.}

{the Garden! - Game 7 before the finals}

{The Greatest Bar - which is the name of the bar in case you're wondering}

{we won!! - celebrating with randoms on the street}

{go B's!!!}

{shopping on Newbury}

{great spot in the South End}

{paul came out for dinner}

{and so did Rob and Jenny!}

{brunch at Cafe Nuovo}

{I over-ordered}

{couldn't help but take a close picture}

{coooooool store in Harvard Sqaure called black ink - has the most random stuff}

{we found SWEET in Harvard Square}

{raspberry lemon cupcake with a side of red velvet}

{amazing}

{red sox game!}

{fenway park}

{the green monstahhhhh}

{I love him to pieces but he can't keep his eyes open}

{ahhhhhh}

{so I decided to join him}

{we finally got it right - :) }

{amanda and I didn't want to single him out}

{always picture perfect}

{the field - not a bad seat in the house}

{thank you troops!}

{go America!}

{figured I would end this post with a photo bomber}

It was a great weekend - I already can't wait for her to come back!  And some of you need to come visit me as well!!

Blog Vacation, over

Hi.  I must apologize for my little hiatus... 

1. I have been really busy from my week in GA, Amanda's visit, a quick wknd trip to TX, and work/life in general. 

2.  I was a little depressed after my visit home...

...or at least that is the only way I know to explain why I cried for 5 days straight?! Neither Paul nor myself could believe how many tears I was able to produce in such a short amount of time!  The weather was "unusually" (so Paul claims) BAD the 2nd week in May up here - 10 days of rain with temperatures in the 40s.  The relationship between the "Boston weather" and "my mental state" can be volatile at times.  It was a tough week. But just like everything else - God walked me through it - Paul talked me through it - and I eventually got through it!  

I can honestly say I am happy to be back home (in Boston) tonight after a wedding in Dallas, hanging with Paul and writing.

so with all that said - I have a short simple post for this sunny, 75 degree Monday morning in Boston :)

 

I picked up this elephant tea pot from Target one night - it is part of the Calypso St. Barth collection and I am just a little obsessed.  I have recently been really into elephants and they are all of the sudden popping up everywhere...jewelry, stationary, tea potssssss.  Who doesn't need an elephant tea pot?

 Amanda visited over Memorial Day Weekend - which gave me a reason to buy some flowers - and my new little tea pot because a unique flower pot - how lovely. 

The colors just happened to go with my May edition of Martha Stuart Living - swear!

I think he fits in nicely.

This Week I will also be posting about..

Amanda's Visit to Boston:

and our ahhhhmazing lunch at Figs! (gets its own post)

Happy Monday! It feels good to be back.

Living Room Redo: Lampshade

Long post alert.......

I recently decided to make a lampshade that would fit our light and airy direction we are taking with our living room.  The old lamp was one that I inherited from my mom when I moved out and was taking anything for lighting options.  The lamp is reminiscent of the old style of our house with the tans, burgundy, dark greens and golds (which you know from this post, has now been transformed to a light, comfy, cottage feel) - I know the tassels used to be really in - maybe a decade ago - but I just wasn't lovin' them anymore.

I mentioned before I got my inspiration from an anthropologie lampshade but wasn't about to pay $98 for a lampshade.

I found a blank lampshade canvas at target for $14.99.  The best part about making your own lampshade is that you get to incorporate the exact colors you need!  Jenny and I went to Michaels on Sunday and were able to find all the supplies we needed (she is making one too!)  In total my lampshade cost $44 to make - over 50% savings!

I found some old ribbon from a wedding shower and was able to make roses.

 

 

At the moment, I do not have a complete thumbprint on my left hand - ouch!

Start to finish - the lampshade took me 3 hours and made a big mess.  I'm hoping I will get faster the more I do - I plan to venture into the graveyard of lampshades my mom has at home.

The quote is from a Bible verse on things you should think about (for rest)...Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brothers, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I just love the word lovely - and every now and then I need to be reminded to relax!  I think it's a nice little bonus to be reminded when I walk in the door.

Below is a night and day comparison...

This weekend I am heading back home to Georgia for 10 days! Yahooooo!!  My cousin's wedding is this weekend and one of my best girlfriends wedding is the following weekend - so Paul and I are staying down South for the week between.  We plan to relax, go out on the lake, go on runs with my dog Shadow, get dinner with friends, golf!, hang on the back porch with my fam, oh and some more relaxing!  This is one time I am glad things are slower in the South.

Have a great weekend!

Living Room Redo: Throw Pillows

{I have seen this yellow pillow from Target in sooooo many design blogs - it's the perfect shade of yellow}

Last week I posted my new living room sofa redo here and told you that I would be getting a few more pillows in from etsy.  Two more to be exact.  I still want two green pillows and one pop of pink pillow (maybe with something shiny like sequins?) but like everything else in this room - we must wait until we find the perfect pillows!  We waited 6 months to get a couch - I think we can wait a few more weeks to add some more throw pillows.

{I love this unexpected weight of black on our couch - it brings it back down a notch}

{loving chevron pattern lately - searched "blue chevron" on etsy}

{found this pretty pale pillow on etsy as well - came with a sweet thank you note from the maker}

{I've had this brown pillow for over a year now - I love that the stitching shows}

Sneak Peek Alert:

I made a lampshade last night! I can't wait to share more about with you on Thursday.  I got inspiration from Anthropologie lampshades that run about $100 bucks each -can't afford that - so I decided to make my own!

Living Room Redo: Sofa

I must start off with a disclaimer - the living room makeover it is not any where close to being complete! (more on my list of things to do later)  However I do LOVE our new comfy couch!  When I moved up from Atlanta - my couch would not fit up the stairwell so we were left with an oversized recliner for 8 months! 

Marcia and I were lucky enough to get our new couch for free from a friend.  It is literally a build-a-couch, made out of pressed wood puzzle pieces - but either way it is a couch!

Our living room doesn't get much direct sunlight so we wanted to go with light fabrics to brighten the room as much as possible. 

The sofa pillows that came with it were like large cotton logs which left little sitting room.  When you sat on it, half of your thigh literally hung off the edge - no one wants to watch a movie on the couch sitting that straight up.  We decided to go with euro style pillows, they would bring the height of the couch up and you would be able to snuggle down between the pillows and really get relaxed.

I found the pillows at target for $10.99 each but when I went to grab the pillow shams I was shocked! $30-40 per sham!? not on this budget!  I looked a few places and decided I was definitely not going to be able to afford to buy the shams but quickly realized I could just make them for a fraction of the cost. 

 I purchased a Queen sheet set ($30) and some stitch witchery from Michaels ($5) and had everything I needed.

A Queen sized flat sheet is all the fabric you need to cover four euro pillows.

 

Fold the to fabric squares together, place the stitch witchery between the edges, and iron your them together.  Voila - you have a secure edge!  (I do plan to go over the seam with a sewing machine once I get my hands on one)

I purchased the slip cover from Target for $65, it was the most expensive item.  Pull it tight and iron it once it is in place.

I must admit I am not set on the pillow sham color - I found sheets from Bed Bath & Beyond for $20 that match the slip cover perfectly.  I might be making four more shams.... Any thoughts?

Here is the finished usable/lovable couch!  Some of our throw pillows from etsy have arrived since I took the pictures so I will be updating with a post on those. 

We plan to paint the side table by the door, replace the lampshades, recover the barstools (not pictured), and make/hang new curtains! We have even thrown around the idea of painting the walls...  I love having a project and with a small, small budget - I am forced to come up with inexpensive solutions which is exciting!

Everyone loves before/after:

A refreshing cookie!

I made these little cookies for Easter, although I think I'll be making them straight through the Summer.  They are light and sweet enough to be refreshing even on warmer day.  I used apricot and raspberry jam because that is what we had in the fridge but I think any color would be pretty. 

Use small amounts of the dough at a time - keep the rest in the refrigerator or freezer. It really helps!

{the bottom side of the cookie}

{snap in the gadget and you have the top side}

I kept them in the freezer after they were done - take them out a few minutes before serving.  They will be just the right cool temperature for those warmer nights. 

I kept the cutouts and baked them at 250 for a few minutes - they just needed a little zap.  They were a great little app - and you know my rule (see mini pancake post) - the smaller the treat, the more I can have!

{Sneak Peak Alert}

I have been working on a home project in my livingroom - I will post about it this week!

Have time to boil pasta?.....

...then you have time to make this low-calorie dish for dinner!

I have been trying to eat lighter for dinner during the week but I still want to get a full balanced meal.  Lately I've just been grabbing frozen lean cuisines but I'm trying to eat more fresh, all natural food - which is much harder than I thought.

I found this recipe here - it's  easy, fast, and delish! This shrimp pasta dish is full of flavor, nutrients, and is under 500 calories per serving! 

{fresh spinach and tomatoes}

{while your pasta is boiling - quickly cook the shrimp and spinach}

{cheese wasn't in the recipe - but I couldn't resist all of the fresh cheese in the Northend}

{and your done! - takes about 15 minutes!}

Recent Happenings

It's been a good week!  Maybe because I started it off in Atlanta?  I flew out of Atlanta on Monday morning due to a flight cancellation on Sunday out of Charleston - it was a nice surprise to get to stay at home on Sunday night. Or it might have been a good week because the weather has been better than normal up here - bright and sunny most days which automatically lifts my mood.  Either way I definitely felt better!

This week I put up some colorful little signs in my cube to make it feel "springier"!  You can download the "bee happy" sign here - it might have taken my coworker Lauren an entire week to figure out what the little sign was saying.... :) (you got your first shout out!).

I was also given 3 Starbucks gift cards unexpectedly this week!  woohoo! The first one was from my Auburn girlfriend Dorsey - she said just because - so sweet!  The last two were from Paul - he randomly got them in a credit card rewards thing and handed them over.  They made me do a happy dance in the kitchen and he said if he'd known that all along, he would have been giving me a lot more Starbucks cards!

I also finally got to meet precious cavapoo puppy Izzie!!  Paul and Rob got Sandy and Ross a pretty little girl puppy - enough boys already.  This may or may not have been the boys scheming to push off having to deliver grandkids for a couple of years....!!   Either way I'm so excited they found the sweet little pup - or as Paul calls her - the fluffy lil' fluffy fluff! - word for word!

This weekend should be pretty low key...Paul is going to be playing a lot of golf (kinda being a spaz about it) which leaves me to do random things in the city - run in the park, new yoga class, and hopefully some more photography.

Also - just a little selfish request - follow me! :) It's super easy - you can use almost any account you already have (including your gmail account) - that way you can comment if you want....andddd it's always cool in the blogworld to have a bunch of followers.  Just thought I would throw it out there! 

Bachelorette Party - Charleston, SC

This past weekend I surprised one of my best friends and college roommate by flying down to Charleston, SC for her Bachelorette Weekend!  It was a jammed packed weekend with cute breakfast spots, a couple hours on the beach, a very interesting drive-thru moment, and an amazinggg dinner!  On Saturday night we all wore black (as we are mourning the end of her single life! and the fact that we are not the next to get married) and we all wore glow in the dark accessories.  We dressed Meredith up in everything imaginable to put attention on her  - needless to say our group got quite a few looks in the very fancy Cyprus Restaurant and we were immediately escorted to the back corner! 

I am so excited I was able to make it for this weekend - Mer and I had hundreds of crazy nights in Auburn and we were able to get one more in before she becomes a "Mrs." in just a few weeks!

{yes that is an aircast boot - crazy bunch}

{we started the night off with a lingerie party - so many pretty gifts}

{feather boa and veil are a must}

{special martini glass - I think it might have been lost within 30 minutes}

{neon straws to go with the "glow-in-the-dark" theme}

I can't wait to go back down South for all of the weddings - Paul and I have a total of nine weddings to attend this year - eight of them are on my side!  

Extreme Easter Decorating

It all started with these....my mom bought these for me knowing I would find something fun to do with them.  There is a Williams Sonoma outlet right by my house in Dawsonville, GA so she is always picking up fun baking things (ahem - see valentine's day post) and sending them all the way up to Boston! 

It is one of my favorite things to get packages in the mail - and since I am on my own personal spending/shopping hold - I'm not getting any online shopping packages sent my way - so it is always nice to get a little surprise from my Mom!

I took these cute little cookes out to Paul's parent's house knowing they would be put to use - and sure enough - Sandy had all the ingredients laid out for carrot cake - we improvised and decided to make carrot cake cupcakes because decorating those would be more fun.

{We made fresh carrot cake cupcakes from scratch - along with raisins and walnuts - delish recipe!}

Sandy also found some Easter cookie cutters that she bought last year - before we knew it, the kitchen was covered in cupcakes, cookies, icing, and glitter.  I had a stomach ache afterwards....I couldn't help but try the icing, eat the messed up cookies, and sample the toppings...

{mr. birdie #1}

{mr. birdie #2!}

{the williams sonoma cookies were perfectly sized for toppings on the cupcakes!}

{mr. bunny was my fav!}

{after a lot of trial and much error - we wound up using a paintbrush for the icing}

{a bunny's graveyard - covered in carrots!}

These two bunnies have been put out at Easter since the boys were little - when we walked in the door Paul said "the bunnies are backkk..." :)  I love it when little details you didn't even notice when you were growing up...all of the sudden become some of your favorite memories as an adult.

I loved this pleasantly plump little bunny.

After eating more sugar than I thought possible (I think I actually reached a sugar limit for the first time in my life) we had chicken and veggies for dinner.  The "real" food was more than welcomed by all.

I brought the cupcakes and cookies to work this past Monday - they were gone almost immediately!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Post coming soon......

I did a little Easter decorating this past weekend - currently working on getting the pictures from Paul's comp....but here's a sneak peak!

making time to stop and smell the roses...errr Tulips!

This past Sunday I bought some tulips at Whole Foods.  Sandy (Paul's mom) and I went and picked up a few things while the guys played golf.  I love whole foods - I just feel healthier shopping there! I told myself I didn't need to buy flowers when I walked in - but the checkout line got me - I gave in and grabbed a bouquet of bright orange tulips - anddddd a fresh cup of coffee, some easter cards, and some organic shampoo?!?  Before I knew it I had a bag full of fun things!

No buyer's remorse here  though - I am so glad I grabbed the tulips. This week has been a busy work week and the tulips on my desk definitely help my mood and concentration.  I plan to pick a small bundle of flowers up more often....  Spring is hopefully right around the corner and the flowers add a bright, springy feel to my cube. :)

{the tulips have done pretty well considering they are soaking all natural flourescent lighting}

{have you ever seen a double headed tulip? this is my first}

{now I have to start tackling my long list for the day - at least I can cross of "tulip post"!}