I'm a loner Dottie... a rebel

1. cake from cocoa & fig   2. club monaco blouse   3. shop sweet lulu party plate   4. lisa stickley egg cup 

5. rennes riley tote   6. o-check notebook from madewell

I've been pinning anything with dots like crazy lately, so I figured a round up of said dots was in order.  I would be more than happy to incorporate one or all of these into my life, but most especially the dotted tote and blouse.  Talk about cuteness!

in other news, I'm visiting one of my favorite blogs, Second Street East today, to guest post for the lovely Michelle.  

I don't doubt that you've seen Michelle's adorable outfits and gorgeous pillows all around the web, but just in case you haven't, you really must do yourself a favor and check out her blog.  I'd love to hear what you think of my post as well!

Have an amazing Thursday friends!

around here

Here's a little of what's been happening lately at our house...

Hello and happy Tuesday!  I'm so happy to be back after our long weekend, and even happier to be sharing some of what I've been up to lately.

Our summer is in full swing and we've definitely been soaking it up.  Luke got his very own backyard splash pool and, as you can see from the picture, he's extremely happy about it.  We did a lot of splashing in it this weekend, and also a lot of working on projects around the house.

I did manage to sneak away for a few hours to hit my first official estate sale.  I only left with two things (the straw clutch and mint box in the picture) but I think I learned a ton in the process (like how I need to get there before the doors open next time!)

I also scored a two dollar (!!!) vintage lamp while donating some items to a local charity.  It was calling to me from its lonely little corner, and I happily rescued it and brought it home with me!  Josh isn't as proud as I am, and says it looks like it came out of a bank in the 80's.  (Whatever Josh.)

Finally, I'm in the midst of searching for the perfect paint for that bamboo goodness that you see above.  Yes, I still lust for anything bamboo, and yes, this one will be beautiful when I'm done with her!  I promise to give you all the details on her makeover.

Wow, lots to report, but excited to be getting stuff marked off my list.

PS- If you can't tell, I've been having myself quite the Instagram party lately.

Follow me, @recently, to join in.

friday's happy

1.  this d. porthault monogram is pure luxury   2.  my obsession with tea cups continues with this monogrammed version from welovekaoru    3. would love to spend my summer with these calypso gems on my feet   4. an alpaca wool throw that's reminiscent of everyone's favorite la fiorentina fabric   5.  this jcrew belt comes in the best colors for summer   6. an adorable way to keep in touch from brown paper   7.  the cutest little studs from club monaco   8.  i have a thing for pretty hooks lately, and this one from oliver bonas would be just right in my newly organized closet   9.  any office gets an instant upgrade with these lacquered boxes from lille

 

It's Friday, and to make it even better, it's the Friday before Memorial Day.

Whoop whoop!

I'm sending you off with some of my favorite discoveries as of late, including a few monogram pretties for the southern gal in all of us.

Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?  I don't think we'll be doing much except working around the house, which seems to be our constant lately.  I'm a homebody though, and love a day spent puttering around at home on little projects here and there.  It's always best when a day like that ends with a family movie and a glass of wine...pure bliss for this mama.

However you spend your next two or three days, make it great, and I'll see you next week!

Organized Jewelry (a.k.a. foam board strikes again)

I've been admiring all the organized jewelry collections floating around Pinterest lately, and was finally spurred on to take some action when I saw this gorgeous post by Becca of Lowlife Couture.

I decided that, since I was already cleaning out my closet, I would put my motivation to good use and make a jewelry station out of my shelves...

So, how did I get my earrings to hang from the back of the shelf you ask?
My favorite crafting buddy of course...foam board!
 

The supplies were simple:

I cut the foam board to size first, then the wrapping paper.  I used double sided tape to attach the wrapping paper to the foam board and (very carefully) placed them both inside the shelf.  All that was left to do was to trim off any excess paper and use a little more tape to keep the paper from lifting off the shelf.
After that, I used the back of a sturdy post earring to poke holes where I wanted the earrings to be in the foam board, and that was it!  My jewelry is now organized and I feel like my woman cave is complete!

I also organized my clutches by spray painting some Target dollar section magazine files gold.

Taaa Daaaa...

Spray paint...you complete me.

Now my closet is clean and my jewelry is finally where I can see it and enjoy it!

PS- Thank you so much for your kind comments regarding yesterday's post.  Since my closet counts as part of my house, I'll go ahead and say that I'm already getting better! :)  Y'all are the best!

I'm such a follower...

Well, what I mean is, I'm going to be a follower today and post my "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You."

As you've probably seen, "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You" is a movement to bring about authenticity in blogging and amongst bloggers.  It began with this beautifully written post (a must read!) by Jess Constable, and continued when Ez of Creature Comforts gathered up a long list of bloggers to join her in raising their transparent voices for all to hear.

Then, last week, Meg of Mimi and Meg gathered another group of awesome gals together for Wave 2, and that's where I come in, following behind them on a wave of blogging support and being spurred on by feelings that I myself have been having about blogging lately. 

So, here goes:

ONE:  I worry all the time that my blog comes across as superficial because I mainly post about material things.  I consider myself to be a very down-to-earth person, and have so much more to say than just what my favorite shoe of the moment is.  I find Recently to be my place to escape, to dream, to observe the beautiful things in life and appreciate them for what they are.  I don't, however, think that my worth is in my possessions, and I absolutely don't want to come across that way.

To make a long story short, I pray that Recently can be a place to find inspiration of all sorts, material and otherwise.  On that note, if there is anything I've posted about before that you would like to see more of, please please please let me know!

TWO:  I'm scared to death to post pictures of my home.  Oh how I hate admitting that!  I love my house, but, to me, it's not exactly how I want it yet.  In keeping with the article that started all of this in the first place, I'll be honest and say I don't feel like it's "Pinterest Perfect."  For shame, for shame!  I've challenged myself to start posting more pictures of my house, so hopefully I'll get brave and do so in the coming weeks.  It's a part of me after all, and y'all know I'm not perfect!

THREE:  I lie awake almost every night wondering how I'm going to make blogging work with my life.  It's usually about 1:00 am, after I've worked on a blog post for the last 4-5 hours.  Don't get me wrong, the reason I blog is because I absolutely, unbelievably, crazy love it.  It's my passion and has literally changed me as a person.  I'm more motivated now, more focused and more driven than I've ever been in my life.  But, I'm also a wife and mom and those jobs take up more space in my heart than anything else.  I feel major guilt if blogging interferes with my family life (usually in the form of me being tired) and I've had to find a way to make it all relatively work.

 You might have noticed that I haven't been posting as much lately.  I told myself that I would only post three days a week right now.  (I feel like a broken record when saying that, because I've tried to take a step back before!)  I think I'll ramp things up when school starts again, but can't make any promises!  Just cutting out those one or two days a week has helped tremendously, and I almost feel like I might be getting this thing...almost.

FOUR:  And finally...the toughest one for me.  I've mentioned a few times on here that I want to write for a living one day.   I figure the best way to break out of my shell is to share some of what I've written.  So, today, I'm sharing a poem.  Nerd alert! :)  It's a poem I wrote a loooong time ago, when I was 17 to be exact, but it's one of my favorites, so I thought a few of you might like it too.  And with that, here's a poetry blast from the past:

So, there was a little glimpse into my idyllic seventeen year old mind.

 

Maybe one day I'll share something that I've written within the past five years! :)  Maybe.

PS:  I hope you'll take a look at some of the original "Things I'm Afraid To Tell You" articles that I linked to above, and if you post your own let me know in the comments.

Lots of love to all of you!

see it/wear it - chambray

image via: vogue.it, photographed by michel dufour
j crew chambray top  //  zara leopard belt  //  anthropologie skirt  //  zara sandals 

free people bag  //  nars lipstick in heat wave  //  asos watch  //  forever 21 earrings

Friday is upon us yet again beautiful people, and, somehow, I looked up and it's the middle of May.  What?!?  How in the world did that happen?

At least I didn't let See It/Wear It go the same way as my brain lately.  It's back after a slight hiatus, and better than ever I do believe!
I've loved this outfit for a while now, and found just the right time to use it with this week's chambray theme for Friday's Fancies. As you can see, the gorgeous Shala Monroque wears her chambray with such style,  and that bright yellow skirt is a dream!

PS- I absolutely HAD to use this Free People bag in my post today.  Michelle pinned it yesterday and I was totally taken in by its sheer awesomeness!  Thanks Michelle!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

take notes - how to wear a maxi skirt

I'm forever a devotee of the maxi skirt.  Anything that hides my pudgy knees while allowing me the occasional cool breeze will always be high on my must list.  I have to say though, that lately the long look has become boring, and I find myself craving a new way to wear this wardrobe treasure.
Since I'm guessing some of you might share my feelings, or even want to give the maxi a try for the first time, I took the liberty of pulling some of my favorite looks from the web, to bring you another volume of styling notes, maxi skirt edition...

image credits:  click to see more, see jane, haute look, the daybook, vogue uk, fabsugar

I'm thinking with just a few changes here and there, I'll be able to give new life to my maxis this summer!

Your turn...Any of these looks your favorite or not so much so?  Let's discuss!

my mother's day

Hello and a beautiful Monday to you all!

Did you have a great weekend?

I must say, mine was pretty fantastic.

I got to send my niece off to her first prom, have an awesome dinner with my mom and sisters, and enjoy the sweetest Mother's Day to top it all off!

My boys woke me up with breakfast in bed and big brother played waiter while dad and baby buzz were the cooks.  I don't know if I've ever experienced anything better than that tiny moment in time!

After I ate, they all piled on the bed and watched me open the little vintage oil painting I'd been wanting.  I had seen it at one of my favorite antique shops a few weeks ago, and Josh used his best stealth tactics to get it for me.  That man of mine obviously knows the way to my heart!

 I'm wishing each of you a wonderful week ahead, and thanks for stopping by!

happy finds for your friday

1.  loved everything little thing about alex berlin's feature on glitter guide   2. dotted tray...yes!  3. oh how i wish my local spray park would be a fitting place to wear this cover up   4. my soon-to-be favorite summer polish 

5. well hello there anthropologie pillow,  where have you been all my life?    6. will i shell out the bucks for this alexander mcqueen keyring?  probably not, but i do enjoy wishing it was mine   7. madewell necklace ... pure awesomeness   8. this tibi sandal is nothing short of sublime    9. i never need an excuse to chow down, but in case i forget my calling i'll have these napkins at the ready!

I thought I'd switch things up a bit this week and send you into the weekend with some happy finds, so while you're wishing five o'clock would roll around you can shop your hearts out!  I promise I won't tell!

While you're browsing, you should definitely take a look at the feature on Alex of Things That Sparkle on the Glitter Guide.   There's definitely much eye candy to be seen there, and isn't that just what the doctor ordered for a slow-moving Friday afternoon?

To all my mom friends out there, I hope your Mother's Day is relaxing and carefree.  I'm having dinner with my mom and sisters on Saturday, and enjoying the day on Sunday with my boys.  I can't wait!

Have a great weekend everyone!

are you on instagram?

If you're on Instagram, you should totally follow me here.

Maybe we'll become bff's through our shared love of the everyday turned vintage.

Or maybe you'll merely enjoy my mundane life through the lens of my iphone.

Either way, I love seeing what other people find beautiful through photographs, so let's connect!

You can also find me @Recently.  See you there!

take it outside

image credit: justina blakeney

This time of year is always refreshing to me, with its ample opportunities to enjoy all the porch time I can before the sweltering heat sets in.  The above photo more than sums up what I love about porchin' it, so I decided to make this look my own, with a few ice cold extras of course!

tablecloth // lantern lights // bistro chair // napkins // wicker caddy // ice bucket // outdoor rug

Is there anything much better than enjoying an icy beverage with a symphony of crickets to set the mood?

Here's to getting outside!

What I've been up to...

Hello there!  It's me, your friendly neighborhood blogger, stopping in to say hello after a fun, but busy week last week.

As you may have noticed, I've been absent a bit lately and haven't been keeping up with my blog reading as much as usual.  I've missed you guys and gals, and I'm happy to be back after getting lots of things in order around here!

As you can see from my pics, a lot of my time was spent with my babies, but I was also squeezing in picture editing, crazy bouts of organizing (more to come on that later!) and plenty of time with a stack of old magazines to get my creative juices flowing.  It was a wonderful and much needed break!

I can't wait to catch up on my favorite blogs, and to hear from all of you again!

Here's to another productive week!

busy...

So sorry for the silence around here lately!

As most of you know, my niece's wedding was last weekend, and I've been editing the 600 plus photos I took of the festivities, not to mention recuperating from said festivities!

 

It was an amazing weekend and a beautiful wedding.

I must admit, I'm sad to see it end, but I'm so thankful for the wonderful memories that were made!

 

 I'll be taking a little more time off this week, but I promise to be back with lots of things for you to love!