Monday Morning Happy!

Hi All! Welcome to another week! How was your weekend? Sunday I went to a fantastic baby shower for my good friend Graciella! It was a very fun way to spend an afternoon. It's amazing how many unique and creative baby presents there are now, this babe is going to be one stylish kid. So many friends are having babies but G lives the closest to me so I am looking forward to many walks this summer, maybe even with some fun lollipops like these above!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" is one I came across from Real Simple a while back. This pupper looks almost happy to be getting a bath, something you don't encounter everyday!
Enjoy the new week
jul


(images from Parents.com/istock Bryan McCay)

Monday Morning Happy!

How was your weekend? It was one of those weekends where a few of my favorite things happened, the kind which can't always be planned!

* My beloved Celtics played their first playoff game and it was basket for basket just about the entire game. It was exhilarating, the best type of ball game to watch.

*The next day I turned on the tv only to find one of my favorite movies has just started, I love that!

* A friend called at the last minute to have brunch together which was the perfect way to start the day! Spontaneous plans can be the best!

Did you have any fun unexpected things happen to you this weekend? Something that made you stop to say, ahhh that was great!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" was taken by my good friend Jason (also known as the one who patiently answers all my random blog questions). I can't imagine a better Christmas gift than a puppy, which is exactly what his sister Andrea received this year! Isn't Bailey just adorable? She looks like the perfect best friend!

(image from Architectural Digest)

Monday Morning Happy!

How was your weekend? Hopefully it was fun and filled with family. We enjoyed an Easter feast cooked up by my Mom, it was DELICIOUS! Today's Monday picture is just for her, since she loves tulips! I am excited to start another fun week of the online class and begin on a new client project.

The "Cute picture of the week" is the absolutely adorable Miss. Miley. She is the new addition to my friend Mike's family. In the picture she looks so posh with her fuscia collar, lounging on her black and white chaise! Love it! You can check out a few more pics over at his blog here.

Enjoy the new week
jul

(images from Martha Stewart)

Monday Morning Happy

Happy New Week! Did you enjoy the weekend? It was so nice to have an extra hour of daylight! I spent the "bonus" hour going to a Celtics Game and enjoying a great dinner with a wonderful new friend! How did you spend your weekend?

Take a look at our "Cute Picture of the Week" from the Pawblog. An adorable dog with eyes that could melt anyone's heart! Too cute!
Enjoy the new week
jul

(image from Kate Spade/Desire To Inspire)

Monday Morning Happy!

a quiet city street

Welcome to a new week and new month! How was your weekend? Yesterday we had a snowy, gray day which was the perfect setting to catch up on my stack of magazines! A big cup of hot tea and a warm Sunday afternoon dinner topped off one of my favorite types of winter days. The kitchen smelled wonderful and my creativity peaked with lots of visually pleasing pictures. So get ready, this week on CreateGirl is going to be filled with lots of great finds from my inspiring day!

The "Cute Picture of the week" is the most adorable dog playing in the snow. With his tongue wagging in the air, he looks as if he is trying to catch a few snowflakes!
Enjoy the week
jul

(image by Melissa D'Anello)

Monday Morning Happy!

Welcome to a new week! Hope you all had a great weekend. This week I am starting a new post series titled, "Scouting". It will give you an idea of what I am currently searching for and maybe it will even be useful in your own home. I promise to narrow it down to just a few options!! I encourage your comments and also suggestions about stores I might have overlooked.

The "Cute Picture of the Week" is from Graham and Green. Isn't it just adorable? The little onsey they are wearing have wings on the back and the message, "I'm a baby angel" on the front, so sweet! One of my good friends, Carrie is due in about a month and with a few clients about to give birth I have baby gifts and nursery decor on my mind!

Enjoy the week
jul

(image from Living Etc.)

Monday Morning Happy!

Happy New Week!
Everywhere you turn there will be red hearts and red roses this week. How do you feel on the holiday? To be honest I am not much of a Valentine Day Girl, it always feels so forced. Personally, I prefer to surprise someone special on a random day to let them know I care. It could be an unexpected dinner on the town, a card tucked into a bag, a box filled with the shoes you have been admiring or even something as simple as a book! Though I know many people love the holiday so in the next post I will give a few home related ideas!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" comes from a fun website Sloppy Kiss Cards. This card is named "New Love". Too cute!! It's really just adorable for custom dog ecards!

Enjoy the week,
jul


(image from Martha Stewart)

Monday Morning Happy!

This is really Monday Night Happy... but you get the idea! It's amazing what 45 degrees in the winter can do for a girls soul. The last 2 days it was so "warm", no snow storms or frigid temps just pure sunshine and even warm enough to leave a layer off! So to say the least I was out soaking in some Vit. D while it lasted! Hope y'all had a nice weekend too.

The "Cute Picture of the Week" comes via Domino Magazine. From their very first issue they always incorporated dogs into the photo shoots and I just loved them for it. No fear, I have gone through the website and stashed away lots of "pupper shots" to keep us satisfied even after our lovely inspirational magazine has disappeared.

Enjoy this new week
jul

(image from Domino Mag)

Monday Morning Happy!

Happy New Week!
Do you ever start a Monday and know how hectic the week will be like already? Well that's where I am today, though in an energetic, motivated way! I should just apologize in advance, looking at my schedule it is going to be a nutty week so I am not sure how much time I will have to blog. Please know how much I appreciate each one of you taking a minute in your day to check in! I have a few things to sprinkle throughout the week, I just can't promise everyday!

Here is a sneak peak at a project I have been working on!

This is for a Formal/Casual Living Room: the top print Robert Allen Fabric will be gorgeous window panels, it hard to see but the Mitchell Gold fabric is a warm turquoise for the sofa, the deep gold/butter velvet will be for plush chairs and the Sable Leather is for a long tufted ottoman! Below is the carpet which pulls the room together. I can't wait until it is installed and I can share photos!

The Cute picture of the week is a tired puppy at the American Kennel Club Show. Isn't he just adorable?
Enjoy the week
Jul

Twisting the traditional Dining Room

Roy Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece, 1962

Today I came across this photo of Agnes Gunds Dining Room in her Park Avenue Home. What do you think of it? It's kind of a fun departure from all the "keep it in the theme" designing. At first, I was not sure but with a closer look, I really like it. Many people inherit classic dining room sets like this English Mahogany collection. What if you are not that "traditional" but love the nostalgia of your passed down piece? This is a example of how to make it work. They have chosen a subtle rug and seat fabric, this creates a calming factor to the vibrant blue paint. Your focus is the art work which paired with a simple crisp white mantel works perfectly. If there were too many patterns in this space you would not know what your focus was. With this scheme you are equally drawn to the beauty of the table and the strength of the artwork. It is a fantastic combination!

(image from W magazine)

Monday Morning Happy!

"Possible" by Jonathan Hoefler

It is truly a happy Monday and will be a fantastic Tuesday. This is by no means a political blog, but I am in a state of overwhelming joy and am filled with hopefully optimism. I am not sure if there will ever be another time in my life where I feel as if I can actually see the moment a U turn is being made. "YES we can", rings through my mind and it's a phrase which can be applied to so many areas in life. At this moment it is a proven fact, absolutely anything can be accomplished when we believe in ourselves!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" is one of Malia and Sasha Obama with their dad. You can tell they are sharing a silly moment and the love is just written all over his face. The love of a Dad, there is nothing quite like it!!
Enjoy this historic week
JUL


(image from barackobama.com)

Monday Morning Happy

Happy New Week!



I have just been reminded once again what an amazing community the blogging world is. As I was searching for the "Cute Picture of the Week" I jumped over to Cookie Magazine where they are counting down the top 10 house tours of 2008. This adorable little red head caught my eye, she is part of the Nielson Family. This is where it gets interesting, as I clicked on her Mom's blog I am overwhelmed with this incredible story. Stephanie, the mom of three little ones is the author of the NieNieDialogs. It is an absolutely adorable blog of this mom and her adventures of raising children. Her house is perfectly lovely and she has a great talent for using found items and meaningful mementos to design her rooms. For instance below she uses sweaters her grandmother knitted (and her mom shrank!!) as decoration on the babies crib! Too sweet and very thoughtful!




The real story unravels as I continue to read. Stephanie and her husband were in a terrible plane accident and were both severely burned back in August. The blog has continued by readers "reposting" their favorite entries and what that post meant to them. I was completely moved by the devotion of her readers and their commitment to keeping the blog going until Stephanie will be able to post again. Through these blogs, which each of us slave over to create informative, interesting posts each day, we are all connected in a way where we become involved in each others lives. It is truly amazing. I continue to love the idea of clicking on one article or blog to only be led to another which I might not have found otherwise. So I send a little blog love to NieNie and hope her recovery continues to go well. Please visit her site and be inspired by all of her readers and the Nielson Family.

Have a great week
JUL

(images from Cookie Magazine)

Monday Morning Happy!

Welcome Back, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I had a fantastic few days filled with family and a weekend catching up with friends I have not seen in months. Sometimes it is so rejuvenating to spend time with close friends, some who at times know you better than you know yourself. There is also news of another baby on the way, which ups the total to 15, yes 15!! 2009 will definitely be filled with posts on nursery decorating and baby gift buying! Congrats Kourtney K. C.!

Can you believe the New Year is just a few days away? This week I will post until Wed. than take a few days to enjoy the celebration! The picture above is a lovely corner I have been saving for just this occasion!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" comes from Mercedes and her adorable puppy Chloe. I can't help but to smile when I look at this picture. As Chloe lays on her back, no doubt getting a belly rub, she looks to be completely pleased with herself! Ahh the simple joys of life!
Have a great week and enjoy the New Year
JUL

(image from Point Click Home)

Monday Morning Happy

Happy New Week! I am very much looking forward to a few extra days off during the next 2 weeks not to mention all the presents I plan to give and maybe receive!! How was your weekend? If you live in the NE or the Midwest or the NW (it seems like everyone got snow....) how did you manage?
We got about 9" here in the city, the picture above was taking on Sunday afternoon during the second storm. I was sitting on the floor in the living room trying to think of all the positive points of living in the city. This was after shoveling my car out for the 3rd time but I decided to close my eyes and remember all the things I love, for instance summers on the back deck like the picture below! Another positive is I tend to get a lot done while stuck inside - moving all the furniture in the LR created a brand new feel for the winter and baking cookies filled the house with a sweet smell. Many great stories can come out of winter storms, a friend described a warm scene of neighbor helping neighbor dig out their cars on a city street, talking and getting to know one another!

The Cute Picture of the Week is a photo I have had on my fridge for 5 years now. Winston is my friend Kathy's dog and he is just adorable! He celebrated his 5th Birthday last week and since it is such a nice winter picture I thought I would keep it posted for this week too! If you are a dog lover you grab your cup of coffee and check out this video, it will be a nice Monday Morning Break!
Enjoy the week
JUL

summer time deck...

Monday Morning Happy

Welcome back! Hopefully everyone enjoyed a few days of relaxation away from work! I know I did! My long weekend was filled with lots of family time, watching the Celtics win again at the Garden, attending a FANTASTIC party my friend Nicole planned with old high school friends and than capping off a fun weekend with a leisurely Sunday dinner! I am not sure it could have been any more perfect. I have a few great posts planned for this week as I have been busy scouting for clients and have come across many great finds. Most of them budget friendly too, which is very helpful around the holidays so please check back in during the week!

The "cute picture of the week" is an adorable pup I came across on the Redbook website. Isn't he just the cutest? He appears to be loving his nap all snuggled up in his dog bed!
Enjoy the week!
JUL

(image from Redbook)

Monday Morning Happy

Happy New Week!
The weekend was full of work but I was also able to make time to visit with some good friends, ones I have not seen in months! There was a night filled with 2 friends who I just adore, both incredibly creative with energy that could only be described as contagious and positive! Another part of the weekend was spent hanging out in a friends kitchen. Isn't it funny how there can be dozens of seats around the house and people find the kitchen island to be the most comfortable? I love that, I feel like it is always a compliment to the home owner! It was fantastic to catch up with them and their 15 month old, who is as sweet as can be, just like his parents!!

The Cute Picture of Week and quote comes from a flickr account I stumbled upon. Noreen is an exceptional photographer, if you have a minute check her out here. The photo is a sweet story of 2 little girls who had never met, yet seemed to immediately become friends. What is better than having a friend who will help you up all the steep stairs in life? Just precious!
Enjoy the week and I hope you are able to take some time out to reconnect with new and old friends.
JUL

Monday Morning Happy

Morning!
It's the start of a very exciting week! One of my favorite days of the year is Election day and Tuesday will be a big day for the U.S. I was raised in a family where both parents were involved in town politics. I fondly remember sitting around the dinner table talking about what was going on in town and the changes that were coming. During these conversations, I learned how important it is to vote and how even one person can make a change when they speak up!! Please take a minute wherever you live when there is an election to vote, you really can make a difference.

The Cute Picture of the Week is just adorable! My niece, also known as the Princess on this day, has an expression on her face as if to say "what me?" as her hand was caught in the "cookie jar".
Enjoy the week!

(image from Design-Milk)

Monday Morning Happy

(shops on Newbury St, Boston)

Happy New Week everyone! I think I am needing the Monday morning happy more than ever, it was hard to get moving today. Maybe it was because this weekend was so much fun - shopping in the city, meeting friends for drinks and enjoying the warm weather. The Northeast was 67 degrees, sunny and just a picture perfect fall day. So I guess when the weekend is so great, Mondays can be that much more difficult.
The cute picture of the week is a tuckered out pup. This is yet another dog picture hanging on my bulletin board (are we seeing a pattern here or what?!) and is just adorable. I am a big fan of Airedale dogs they are a great size, well mannered and have a beautiful coat of tan and black! Very sweet!
Enjoy the week!

(cute picture of the week image from Beautiful Interiors 2005)

Monday Morning Happy

Its the start of a new week and I am happy to say the tshirts and sun dresses have been put away and are now replaced with cozy warm sweaters and cute jackets!! It is such a relief when that task is done and I have a new wardrobe to choose from. Now to start with the switch of decor and bedding, but we will address that project in another post!
The Cute Picture of the week is from a Hallmark Shoebox card and was given to me by another dog lover. I am a huge sap for a good card and tend to save the ones I love for years....yes this can become a problem but they are so cute!!
Enjoy the week

(image by Randall Michelson and Juan Tallo and Creative Closetsworks)

Monday Morning Happy!

Here we are at the start of a new week. How was your weekend? Hopefully you were able to fit in a few minutes of "me time" and relax!
The cute picture of the week is one I took of my niece - mid slid. I love the shadows on the gray metal and if you could see her face, she was laughing so much I didn't think she would make it to the bottom. It was a fun day of laughing and simply being a kid! Sometimes a trip to the playground can lift the spirit and remind us of how fun it is to act like a 5 year old!
Happy New Week!