{already dreaming}

I am so tired I am feeling a little loopy. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mother, but there are days when you just HIT a wall. I think we are all ready for school to start back up around here, so that we can insert a little sanity into our days. Tonight as I collapse into the bed that I never made this morning, I am going to dream that I first soaked in this tub, then crawled between the crisp, clean (perfectly ironed I am sure!) sheets in this serene bedroom.

And when I wake up. I am going to look just like this:

I am just sure of it.

{the look for less: quadrille's paradise background}

I have quite an obsession with the quirky, fun fabrics of Quadrille. Their fabrics are so bright, fresh and fun without compromising any of the chic factor. One of my favorite prints is Paradise Background, a whimsical Chinoiserie that adds a graphic pop to its surroundings.

Recently, a friend of mine brought a similar fabric, manufactured by Robert Allen, to my attention. It is called Crystal Lake and available in person at the Nashville Calico Corners or online here for only $27.93 a yard!! Pretty fantastic, no?

{first three images via quadrille website, fourth image author's own}

{design personality: handsome or pretty}

We have been playing a lot of games around here to beat the heat and I didn't want you to miss out on the fun. So you don't feel left out, let's play a game called "What's Your Design Personality?" Do you prefer more masculine, handsome interiors or do you find yourself more at home in elegantly feminine ones. Of course some of my examples might be a tad extreme and most of us fall somewhere in between. But if you had to live in just one, which would it be?

When you walk in would you rather see handsome?

Or pretty?

How about for fine dining? Do you find this more appetizing?

Or this?

In your living room would you be happier in handsome?

Or pretty?

How about in your most private spaces? Handsome?

Or pretty?

Would you rather collapse into this?

Or this?

{images: 1- via mary mcdonald; 2- design by albert hadley courtesy of mrs. blandings; 3- via peter dunham; 4- via david netto; 5- via veere greeney; 6- via gil schafer; 7- via this is glamorous; 8- miles redd via mrs. blandings; 9- charlotte moss}

{where is the time going?}

I am sorry for the spotty posts as of late. It is hard to get it all done in a day when the kids are out of school. I came this old picture that I snapped as we were moving into our house last year and it melted me. This month three of my four children had birthdays. I can't believe that my youngest are now four. While these summer days seem to go oh so slow, this image reminds me that the time is slipping away quickly...

{summer staple}

This little bamboo clutch from J Mclaughlin is my go to purse for summer soirées . It is classic, chic and goes with just about everything. What are your summer style mainstays?

{obsession: drawings}

Please pardon my preoccupation with drawings. They are one of my favorite art forms. Perfect in groupings with gold or silver frames, they add an element of serenity and modernity to a space. Last year I found one of my mother-in-law's old sketch books from the 1960's. I fell in love with her drawings of the human form. (I promise no naked body parts are showing!) I took several pages, had them framed and hung them in our bedroom. More on family drawings to come....

{images: 1- via a perfect gray; 2- via suzanne kasler, 3- sketches of pears by kayce hughes featured in her home courtesy country living; 4- via a perfect gray; 5- design miles redd via town and country august 2010 issue; 6- our bedroom; 7- my dressing table with drawing by rene bouche from gerald bland; 8- our bedroom again}

{the gift of order}

A big belated thank you to dear Patricia over at PVE for my new, beautiful organizer! I am known to be a bit scattered and I run a busy hectic household so this is the perfect "win" for me! In this busy, fast paced world, it is lovely have a beautiful place to keep things organized. If you are looking for a new planner before the school year begins, hop on over to Natasha's site!

{girl crush: the turq girls}

There is a new blog in town and all I can say is it's about time! The stylish girls behind the chic jewelry line, Turq, have jumped into the blogging world and are creating quite a splash!! I am head over heels for this Kelly necklace in gold. It is new for fall and will be up on their website soon.

The great thing about Turq is that you can customize your orders so I am thinking about asking them to create a Kelly bracelet just for me! I have been searching for the perfect chunky-linked gold bracelet ever since I saw this one in Domino Magazine years ago.

{please pray}

I am praying for the appropriate words as I share about the loss of a blogging friend, Marija Stephens. Her blog revealed her to be a loving, kind, talented, beautiful woman who will be greatly missed by so many, most importantly her husband Cory, daughter Olivija and son Nigel. I cannot tell you how encouraging and giving her comments have been to me as I have fumbled through this "blogging" world. Marija's kind and witty voice will be greatly missed. Please pray for Marija's family as they navigate the turbulent waters of loss.

{white at night}

It has been a hot and steamy summer thus far and unfortunately things don't cool off much at night. These crisp, cool, white bedrooms seem the perfect remedy for our muggy nights...

{images: 1- via habitually chic; 2- via david netto; 3- thomas o'brien via patricia gray; 4- via domino magazine via right bank; 5- via brabourne farm; 6- via mary mcdonald; 7- david hicks via patricia gray}

{the whimsical world of rosie flo}

Yesterday my Sunshine turned five. When searching for the perfect present to give her, I knew it needed to be something charming and creative as she embodies both of these qualities. When I stumbled across Rosie Flo coloring books at our local toy store, I knew I had found what I was looking for.

The world of Rosie Flo was created by English artist, Roz Streetan. The books are filled with stylish collections of pre-drawn dresses and costumes that are waiting to be completed with creative characters from your child's imagination. As Freeman explains, "The Rosie Flo colouring books evolved through hours of sitting and drawing with my daughters when they were small. . . . Dresses were the most popular items demanded of me and Sophie (now 12) would then do the faces, arms and legs. . . . Sasha (now 8) became obsessed with simply colouring-in.... I was fascinated with how they both maintained such prolonged interest with this way of drawing and felt there must be other like minded girls around."

The quality of the books is outstanding, with thick card-stock pages that aren't prone to bleeding or tearing. We started with the basic book, and it has proved to be Lilly's most favorite gift. Once she has finished with this one I am sure we will be going back for the others in the series including the garden, animal, and kitchen editions. These books are the perfect present for the little lady in your life!

{let's give it up for gwyneth}

Please indulge my mild obsession with this woman. It is not the first time I have posted about this beautiful mother of two. It seems she has landed on the cover of August Vogue with a feature article about her new cookbook, My Father's Daughter, which is slated for release next year. If the recipes featured are half as tasty and easy to prepare as her shrimp tacos (yum!), then the book is sure to be a success. For now, these photos by Mario Testino are doing a fantastic job of whetting my appetite.