light and bright

Windows! They make all the difference. If I had to choose between furniture and windows, I would choose windows every time. This apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden is so yummy looking. The color of the walls in the dining area such a nice chocolaty tan, and I just love the bed-nook in the living room. Fuchsia and bright pink are two of my favorite accent colors. Pair them with white and other neutrals and I think they can become neutrals.

And when you have a view like this, the windows are even more wonderful! Take a look at this balcony!
See more pictures at freshome.com

Shoe Lovin' Saturday

Grey shoes, yes please!!  I haven't had a lot of NineWest shoes, but the ones I've had always fit really well.

Louisville Skyline at night

Photo taken and edited by me. Here's the original:

Here's another view:

and here is the original of that one:

House 8810

I found this website a couple of weeks ago, but didn't have a minute to blog about it.  Today one of the blogs I follow is hosting a giveaway for House8810!  So I have further motivation to share this fun retailer with you.

I have always loved vintage table linens, and this website has a ton to choose from as well as lots of other goodies.  check them out here: http://house8810.com

Go to Barefeet on the Dashboard to enter the giveaway!

My girls

These lovely ladies are the ones I spend almost every Tuesday night with. I was going to make this a Wordless Wednesday post, but I decided that I really wanted to say how much I appreciate them. :)

They are the ones I can be real with, and they don't think I'm crazy...

They are the ones I can be goofy with because that's what we do...

They are the ones that I love to be serious around, because we want to learn and grow together...

I love you girls!

light and bright

Here's another light and bright apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden featured on freshome.com. This is a good way to think of spring...

 

 

Rugs! Rugs! Rugs!

 

Click on each image for source.

Shoe Lovin' Saturday

Cute black heel with sweet scallop trim. and from Payless!  ya hoo, for cheap shoes!

light and bright

I've admired this picture from RealSimple.com for a long time. It's one of their cover photos. It makes me feel happy and inspired.

Baby it's Cold Outside...

 Okay, so winter might be almost over, but I wanted to share these pictures of Brody in a scarf.  Doesn't he look annoyed?  Ha, and I insisted he sit still for some pictures.

If I had a million dollars...

Purses by simplysuzanna featuring leather totes

J.W. Hulme Legacy Handbag, $390
All-In Bag, $288
Big Buddha Bow Hobo at Zappos.com, $90
Big Buddha Bow Tote at Zappos.com, $90
Big Buddha Arlene, $63
the debriefing handbag in taupe, $58
silhouette flower purse in marigold, $55
Ladies Who Lunch Bag - $49.99 : Spotted Moth, Chic and sweet clothing..., $50
blooms and branches purse, $49
Old Navy Womens Faux-Leather Crossbody Bags, $15
Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Aidan (Desert Olive) - Marc by Marc..., $468
Hobo International Amber Taupe Vintage Leather - Zappos.com Free..., $298
Hobo International Sabina Stone Florence Leather - Zappos.com Free..., $268
Hobo International Maria at Zappos.com, $198
Fossil Sasha East/West Satchel Brown - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH..., $148
Papaya Purse - Roxy, $52

Valentine's Day Surprise

These put a huge smile on my face. And that is all for now.

Shoe Lovin' Saturday

Simply Vera Vera Wang Jahn Ballet Flats

Take Your Dog to Work Day

A snowy day a couple of weeks ago I planned to take Brody to the kennel for the day and pick him up at 5 to go up to Louisville.  But when I got to the kennel I saw that the steep driveway was covered in ice, and there were no tire tracks yet. Not knowing what to do, but with it getting close to 8, I decided to head to work and figure things out from there. When I got to work I took Brody inside, and of course everyone was happy to see him. (Even my boss stopped and petted his head for a minute.) I waited a little bit and then called the kennel only to find out that they were only going to be open for a few hours! I debated whether I should take him home and come back to work or take him somewhere else. But my co-workers thought he'd probably be fine just spending the day at the office.

Since it was a snowy day (and a Friday) everyone seemed to be extra laid back, and it worked out so well! Brody spent the day getting spoiled by everyone at work. He took a few naps, he watched people being busy, and he sat on my lap watching me work. He only barked a few tiny barks, and he was well behaved in every other way. I'm not sure I would like having him here all of the time, but it was a treat to have him with me that day. We all joked that we should have a "Take your Dog to Work Day" sometime.

P.S. do you like his "winter haircut"?

Cath Kidston Desktop Wallpaper

Soo cute!! I love Cath Kidston's prints, and was so happy to find them available to download as desktop backgrounds.

Free Samples Galore!!

Check out Deal Seeking Mom for a long list of free samples and other freebies. click here

Blog Award

Suz from 30 before 30 gave me a Stylish Blogger Award! Thanks Suz! It was sweet of you to think of me!

So here are the rules:

1. Thank & link back to the person who awarded me this award
2. Share 7 things about myself...

3. Toss this award to 15 other bloggers

Sooo.... 7 things:
1. I'm ready for spring: warm air, birds chirping, flowers and bushes blooming...
2. Brody will have a new puppy to play with soon, my new roommate has a dog. I think they're going to be best friends.
3. I like nicknames.
4. Everyone at work is sick, and I mean everyone. I don't think I've ever heard so many sneezes, coughs, and congested voices all at once.
5. At Christmas I had one lipbalm on my nightstand, one in the car, one in my purse, one at work and one extra. I'm down to one at work and one in my purse. Apparently my favorite lip balm is also Brody's favorite food.
6. I don't like cough drops.
7. 15 fine point sharpies are sitting in a pencil cup on my desk waiting to make my notes colorful. they make work more fun.

Now here is the fun part! I'd like to introduce you to 15 lovely bloggers:
MoonWalk
The Bohemian Chick
Complete organizing Solutions
Mabel's House
Color Me Ducky
Peachy Perspective
Faith Barista
In the Name of Love
Thoughts and Other Useless Stuff
Tammy's Recipes
Style your Life
Kendi Everyday
Coupon Teacher
Finding Lana
Life Abroad

 I hope you enjoy visiting these blogs!

light and bright

I tend to gravitate towards white or light walls with brightly colored accessories. It's so easy to do when you live in an apartment, no painting required... and rooms that are light and bright are so much more cheerful.

This apartment was featured on freshome.com . I'm not sure where it's located, but it looks Scandinavian to me. Sometimes I want to get rid of 50% of my furniture and go for this kind of sparse, calm design. I am moving soon, now might be the time! 

Fun and Quirky Home Decor

home by simplysuzanna featuring flower jewelry

Keeper Creature Jewelry Tray in Bird, $15
Washing & Hoping & Dreaming Dish Rack, $43
Ripe and Ready Salt and Pepper Shakers, $40
Coziest Cabin Key Holder, $32
Bloom for Improvement Kitchen Brush, $15

wordless wednesday 21

Plaid Ruffles and Denim

Plaid ruffles and denim by simplysuzanna featuring leather bags

Gap Plaid ruffle shirt, $30
Old Navy Womens V-Neck Cardigans, $30
Old Navy Womens Belted Cinch-Waist Skirts, $27
Amazon.com: Clarks Women's Flirty Boot: Shoes, $110
J.W. Hulme Legacy Handbag, $390
my one great love indie earrings, $29

Spring come soon so tights don't have to be in every outfit!! 

Good Advice: The Essentials of a Well-Balanced Wardrobe

I go back to this article from Real Simple a lot. There's a lot of wisdom in having a closet filled with classic pieces. It's my goal someday to have all of the things on this list, and simply add a few fun trendy items that are less expensive when the seasons change.

I spend a lot of my money on a bunch of cheap things that don't last, fit well, or survive the trends. I think I'd rather spend more money on fewer things that are going to last. It's so tempting to buy things just because they seem like a good deal or because they're trendy, but I'm on a limited budget and I need to be more choosy about what I buy.

The Essentials of a Well-Balanced Wardrobe:

The Basics
1. Black Tank top
2. Long-Sleeve white T-shirt
3. Long-Sleeve black T-shirt
4. Short-sleeve white T-shirt
5. Short-sleeve black T-shirt
6. Black Turtleneck
7. White Button-down shirt
8. Crew-neck sweater
9. Cardigan
10. Jeans
11. Black Pants
12. Khakis
13. Denim Jacket

The Staples
14. Wool skirt
15. Black suit
16. Pinstriped oxford shirt
17. Shirt Dress
18. Silk Blouse
19. Grey Trousers
20. Fitted jacket
21. Camisole


The Statement Pieces
22. Printed dress
23. Patterned jacket
24. Bold Blouse
25. Graphic sweater
26. Tweed Pants

The Evening Standards
27. Velvet jacket
28. Ruffled shirt
29. Cocktail skirt
30. Sparkly top
31. Velvet pants

I might tweak this list a little, adding some things and removing other things. Some things I consider essentials that aren't on this list?

1. A mix of colorful tank tops
2. Colorful knit shirts
3. Denim skirt
4. Black Pencil Skirt
5. Grey strait skirt
6. Khaki colored skirt
7. Knit skirt
8. Grey Cardigan
9. Black Cardigan
10. Navy Cardigan
11. Brown Cardigan
12. Colorful Cardigan (s)
13. Slim black pants
14. Wide leg black pants

Some of the things I wouldn't need from Real Simple's list?
1. Velvet Pants
2. Cocktail skirt
3. Sparkly top
4. Pinstripe oxford

Next on my list to do? Make a wish list to complete my wardrobe.