Bye Bye Beauty Clutter

I am in a complete clear out clutter mood! You need to start somewhere so I've been going through all my beauty accessories that I've somehow managed to accumulate in my travels. Why do I have 11 different lip balms? Or streaky self tanners from several seasons ago? Not to mention all the products you buy that you never seem to use....

So, that leaves me now with a lot more room on my shelves and a few essentials that I truly love. My two favorites this summer are Paul Mitchell Quick Slip and St. Tropez One Night Only Bronzer. Both have exceeded my expectations and I use them daily!

Quick Slip is a great hair cream that allows me to cut out all my other products. It leaves my hair shiny, detangles well and has cut my dry time. It's not waxy or sticky and it doesn't dull my color. I love it!

 

St. Tropez Bronzer is such a summer find! It adds a beautiful, immediate bronze radiance to your skin and is completely streak free. You can see where you are applying it so you know exactly the coverage you're getting. It smells fresh, you can build the color slowly and I have not found it to be at all orange-y. It washes off easily....simply a perfect summer must have!

Back to School

Without a doubt, "back to school time" is my New Year! It feels like such a completely fresh start....endless possibilities, clean slates, new clothes. Plus... there's none of that post-holiday, I ate too much, bloat feeling going on! I love the line in the movie "You've Got Mail" that speaks of the promise of September and says "I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils..." 

As a return to school slowly grows closer, I came across this great canvas tote on Etsy...a perfect reminder to keep your mind open to new experiences & ideas....

From the beautiful Etsy shop "Hello Small World"....

Pleasant Surprise!

Somehow, until just now, I've never come across Mark & Graham.  Part of the Pottery Barn family, this site is devoted to beautiful personalized items. It's a treasure....visually and creatively. Lots of recipes to mull over, blogs to browse, entertaining tips.....it's just very fresh!

They offer lots of summer drink ideas that I'm going to try for book club...this Lemon Lavender Cocktail sounds delicious!

You can check out their recipe here!

These colorful linen coasters have a preppy, laid back vibe to them...

Patio Evenings

What a happy time! With all things royal this week....these great ceramic coasters completely jumped out at me. Love them.....so cute for the patio with a preppy chambray table cloth! Found this great set on Etsy...

I'm looking forward to girlfriends over for book club this weekend. I really like setting a great outdoor table. I've never been a huge fan of plastic dishware but I just came across this set of melamine plates from Pottery Barn and I love the glazed ceramic look they have to them. Very cute, unbreakable.....how fun!

Are you reading anything great right now? Yesterday, I started A Hundred Summers. The reviews have been terrific about this novel by Beatriz Williams... it takes place in 1930's New England and chronicles the life of two college friends.

Knitting Afternoons

There are so many great books newly published that I haven't been knitting very much. I just finished Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfield and now I am reading The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison. The Silent Wife is a great read with a similar format to Gone Girl. The story is told through "him" and "her" with each character telling their perspective. This is the author's first book and sadly she passed away right before it was released. It is a great, smartly written novel....reviews have been terrific.

It's cooler this week here! I'm not a humidity girl and all that near 90 degrees keeps me inside. But the hot spell has broken and I am starting to peek around for new yarn for fingerless gloves. I'm addicted to Yarnarchy on Etsy. Etsy just launched a new look and I love it! Streamlined, great photo lay out...it's really fresh and inviting! I found this fantastic worsted wool yarn in the Yarnarchy shop. It's a bit thick thin....the color is Spring Chicken. Love the warm variation throughout....sort'of butterscotchy and sweet. Happy Knitting! xo

Beachy Bronze

I love a great beachy look for summer. Wavy hair, effortless bronze-y makeup...just a perfect sunkissed glow. Two of my favorite women who have exactly this ideal style are Aerin Lauder and Lauren Bush Lauren. Aerin Lauder has just launched a great line called Aerin that features both makeup and home items. Her cosmetics offer stunning shades of bronze and nudes....this Pretty Bronze Illuminating Powder being my favorite. Her South Hampton boutique looks amazing and her Fall 2013 home line can be seen online. 

Lauren Bush Lauren cofounded the Feed Project organization that has now linked with Target. Sales from this great line feed children across America. I love these casual canvas bags....they are hip and functionable....and the sale of just one single tote enables Feed & Target to provide 28 meals for children.

Strappingly Handsome

I completely love, love, love this new bag from Anthropologie! Check out the rich brown leather with sequin straps....it's a perfect mix of masculine & a touch of girly! I just am so blown away by how great it is. So amazing for autumn.....

On an outside note, our hydrangea bush bloomed about a month late this season but it now looks really full and pretty....lots of pretty pink flowers. It's a welcome July addition to the garden and viewable from the kitchen which is the best part.

Love how hardy the Purple Coneheads are....such happy flowers!

Summer Kitchen

I am always looking for interesting accents for the kitchen. Things that are both unique and purposeful. Some I use daily and some more so when entertaining. I don't think I have anything that I use more than this distressed wood and french wire tea towel holder. I found this maybe twenty years ago. I love tea towels and I prefer keeping them out so I can see the contrasting textures and patterns. 

I made a yummy frittata for everyone over the weekend. I had some organic applewood bacon, shredded cheddar, scallions and cherry tomatoes around so I combined them with six eggs and baked for about 40 minutes. Perfect light dinner with an arugula salad & crusty bread....

 Knives are Laguiole...my favorite. Found this summery tea towel at Williams Sonoma.

July Planting

I'm still adding a bit to my herbs. As I come across new offerings at nurseries I'm potting them around our patio. I found a really unique lavender today that I was fortunate enough to grab the last one of. I have rosemary, lemon basil, cilantro and thyme. And some thriving tomatoes. My favorite though is still the orange mint. Perfect for iced tea and I have completely fallen in love with this beverage server...love the galvanized metal stand! Found it here at Pottery Barn.

 

Looks perfectly refereshing & hip!

My find of the day....pretty French Lavender. Smells amazing!

Fresh & Pretty

I love pretty little details around our house. I keep just a couple things on the side of our refrigerator...charming invitations, farmers market schedules...and I love finding pretty glass magnets to use.  I have a favorite damask one but it was a gift so I sadly don't know where it was purchased.  I did come across a terrific artist on Etsy that makes beautiful magnets and paper weights....love Tanner Glass.  I'm addicted to these fresh accents for the office or kitchen! 

Love this cherry blossom paper weight....so charming!

 
We have a new local organic market by us called Farmers & Artisans. This tiny store carries only local produce from area farms. They create their own baked goods and soups on site....such a yummy treasure!

Knitting Daze

On a rainy afternoon, I can spend hours looking through knitting ideas on line. We've had plenty of daily rain here this summer. An hour or so to our north Toronto had huge downtown flooding last night. Everyday seems to bring heavy showers. I recently came across a site with the best knitting/ sewing images...amazing inspiration! Completely addicted to Counting Stone Sheep ! 

love this perfectly drapey sweater....so cozy!

Time Well Spent

I love traveling to quiet, remote areas. I'm not one for things over commercialized and tee shirt stand-y. I may be a boring traveler.....but I much prefer to be amongst the locals than in really touristy areas. Mirror Lake is perfect for a laid back vacation destination. Fishing, swimming, boating....lots of fresh caught fish and good Saranac blueberry ale.  Happy!

The Mirror Lake Inn Cottage House.

Hitting the Lake

All I want for a week is to sit by the lake, knit a bit and read! Lake Placid is my very favorite vacation spot. I love walking everywhere, no need to even look at the car....and just relaxing. Mirror Lake Inn is amazing...cozy and right on the water....everything is just a stepping stone away. Lake Placid has hosted both the 1932 & 1980 Olympics...both the inn and the town have so much history.

Front walk up to Mirror Lake Inn.

The dock at the Inn. You can fish, swim, boat...the kids can even order peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and chips. Completely laid back.

I'm bringing with me three books...."The Yonahlossee  Riding

 Camp For Girls", "Sisterland" and "The Shining Girls". All newly published...reviews for all three have been great. I'm half way through "Yonahlossee" now....love it. "The Shining Girls" looks a bit spooky....terrific NPR review.