Reese Witherspoon Style
August 10, 2012
I just love this gal — to me she embodies smarts, polish, good manners, and a seriousness about her kids and her craft — what’s not to admire there? Over the years I’ve also admired her style. She typically dresses in classic pieces that are feminine, whether she’s dressed up or down.
The girl seems to get it right every time — whether she’s walking the red carpet or stepping out to run errands.
While perusing Pinterest the other day I saw a pin of this living room that looked elegant and casual, a tough balance to achieve. I wasn’t surprised to find that it belongs to Reese!
Elle Decor has done a photo shoot of the actress’ Ojai home. Everywhere your eye lands you can see something artful. Each room looks comfy and relaxed.
The home is stunning on it’s own — Spanish, full of light, lots of charm — and the outside is just as charming and inviting.
Here she is with her nieces, amidst clusters of lavender and outdoor decor that is in keeping with the rest. Bravo Reese — what a lovely home!
Pencil Me In
August 2, 2012
Fall is very much on my brain! Pre-Fall merchandise is coming in daily at the store and all of the fabrics and rich colors are so enticing! Being the practical Mainer that I am, most of the pieces I consider buying for Fall must be things that can be layered and worn all through Winter. Aside from sweaters, one of my favorite things is a pencil skirt. It’s uber flattering and can take you from sporty to dressy depending on how you style it. You can wear it with bare legs or tights, with heels or boots: Fall and Winter. See what I’m saying?!
The best thing about having cable again…
August 1, 2012
Sex and the City re-runs on the Style channel!!! I’m in heaven over here. We haven’t had cable in over two years and having only gotten back in the game last week I’m still discovering what’s on the tube. A moment ago Charlotte, in the therapist’s office with Trey, named her vagina. You might recall that she named it Rebecca. What?! Anyway, it’s lovely to have the ladies back!! I have never found a show to replace it, meanwhile friends have suggested Girls. Have you seen that? Alas, HBO is not part of our cable package — but that’s ok for now:)
Google It
July 31, 2012
How many times have you “googled it” when searching for a movie, a definition, a product review, a symptom, or a “how-to” on the web? The fact that Google has long-ago nonchalantly become a verb shows how much it is used and relied upon. It is second nature for most of us — I “google” things all the time. Last night I did a search for a car problem I had with my Subaru and wouldn’t you know I ended up with an answer. To spare you boring details of my late-night car dilemma, let me just say that it was an issue I would never have figured out, but my search yielded results from car-talk forums that ultimately helped me to take care of it myself. While I know there are other search engines out there, I have used Google pretty exclusively. It’d be strange for me to use Yahoo or AOL; I think I’d still want to say the g-word to refer to my search. Oh, this crazy thing called the internet! Plus, Google has helped me raise my chickens and for that alone I am grateful:)
Rules of Civility
July 30, 2012
As I’ve mentioned {months ago}, I have been in a serious book rut! Bad choices, false starts, changes of heart — it was a string of tumultuous relationships between me and my reads for far too long. Last week I walked into a local book shop, Sherman’s, and asked the first sales clerk what they would suggest? I left with Rules of Civility, which I have since devoured! Such a great recommendation!
It’s 1938 Manhattan. The characters are some I won’t soon forget and the story was great. That’s all I am saying so just read it! Also, it’s a book-lovers book: there are mentions of other works like Great Expectations and The Good Earth, a nod to The Great Gatsby, and characters like those in The House of Mirth. Happy Reading!
Spotted: false eyelashes for your car?!
July 21, 2012
How could I pass this by? I had to stop, admire, and photograph what I can only describe as the prettiest set of headlights ever! Too funny:) They’re called carlashes — naturally! You can find them here & here!
They make driving much more demure, wouldn’t you say? Driving faux pas may be better tolerated when batting these beauties — they seem to say, “Oh, pardon me” in a very Marilyn Monroe like way. Drivers beware.
kayak adventures and close encounters!
July 13, 2012
Kayaking is one of the best ways to get out on the water. With a small craft you can get into the nooks along the shoreline and pull up to a spot for a stretch, a snack, or to explore. This is us on Frenchmans Bay in Bar Harbor!
You can also jump off small, rocky islands {and get reprimanded by a passerby for not realizing it’s an island that you cannot do that on — whoopsie!}. In general, being on the water at that vantage point is pretty cool — you can spy things under and on the surface at close proximity, like the time we were visited by porpoises! The video below shows our encounter {if you received this post via email and can’t view the video, click HERE to watch it on my site}. We’re whispering excitedly and got great footage — enjoy!:
There are various types of kayaks and some are better suited for certain waters. REI has great information and a video on their website to help demystify the kayak and guide you in choosing one for yourself. L.L. Bean has a kayak course offered through their Outdoor Discovery Schools, which is how I came to love kayaking. I took that course years ago with my mother- and sisters-in-law. Try it if you haven’t!
Also — a BIG shout out to Luke — it’s his BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday my Love:)
two photos
July 10, 2012
The fruits of our labor…although technically Luke picked all of these:)
We saved containers from raspberries and blueberries that we bought last year at the grocery to use for this year’s blueberry harvest — smart thinking! — and they fill up fast! For the next few days we’ll be picking berries like mad:)
DIY Midsummer Mani-Pedi
July 7, 2012
It’s time for a midsummer refresh on the toes and for whatever reason {maybe this article I saw in Whole Living} I’ve got it in my mind to do my own pedi at home. The other day I picked up a shade of hot coral by Essie and with all the necessary tools on standby I think it’s a go!
While I almost never indulge in a mani, every now and then I will swipe a coat of Essie Ballet Slippers {a light nude-pink} on my fingernails to give them a bit of — ahem — polish. Though, a recent post on a blog I follow, called cupcakes and cashmere, shows a fun and colorful manicure that is tempting:
Do you ever do your own nails? What colors are your favorite standbys?
a Happy 4th of July
July 4, 2012
Happy 4th to you All! America is the best — we can complain about our current state of affairs, our political climate, the debate about the actual climate, but in the end we Americans have it so good. Today I wave my flag to the land of the free!
I started this day by walking out the back door to pick some wild blueberries.
The blueberries are ripe and delicious! We’ve been picking them as often as we can in order to harvest as much as the season offers. Of course I made blueberry muffins using my favorite recipe.
We hung around home most of the day; cleaned the chicken coop & hosed ourselves off since it was another hot one {who am I kidding, we did that because it’s plain old fun!}. The weather has been beautiful here. Lots of sunshine and heat, punctuated with random showers and thunder storms.
After bbq’ing with our friends tonight we came home to a lightning show. Nature’s own fireworks! Check it out on my video here {if you received this post via email & do not see the video…go to my blog site}:
I loved today. Spending time with my husband outside at home and visiting with friends to celebrate the holiday…a very happy 4th! I hope yours was, too!
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