Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy


It's a slow morning here in the Drake household. Hurricane Sandy is making her way to land and my little family is going to be stuck indoors for days. We are all already starting to get a bit stir crazy. In fact, Kiel and I are about to do some Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown. Maybe after we won't feel so lazy.
Work is closed for all but "essential personnel"... I guess that includes me. Boo. I suppose I will have to fight my way through the eye of the storm tomorrow morning at 6am... I am not looking forward to it. Ohhh, the life of a nurse.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Favorite Spaces: Pinspiration

I am noticing a little trend happening when it comes to my "happy home" pin board. I am loving bright, white spaces for the home. Something feels so clean, and fresh about them. Almost minimalist, with simple pops of color that really brighten the room. I am in dire need of some serious change around our house. I am hoping that I am able to transform some of our space into a style that is a bit more chic and modern, for a relatively affordable price. Being that this was our first home (and I had not a clue as to how to decorate) I went on a little bit of an ikea binge... leaving us with matching brown wood and earth tones everywhere. I am starting my make-over slowly, but surely, in the kitchen. It is coming along well, but is still in need of some updating. We'll see how it goes. 

Some inspiring spaces that I've been lusting over lately...
I am in a need of a mantle, especially one that looks like this. 
I am pretty sure that will be Kiel's next big project.
I love how rustic this bathroom shelving unit looks. 
This kitchen is beautiful. I love all the open shelving and pops of red.
I love this little girl's room; it's cute, organized, and simple. I despise clutter.
(I also love the name Ruby. Ruby Drake has a nice ring to it.)
A cozy living space. It would be so easy to change up the room by adding in different throw pillows for each season.

Chunky Knits from Romwe

Romwe, a recent online store discovery, carries some of the cutest and most affordable chunky knits out this season. Not to mention, 15% off any orders over $80 before October 31st. 

Here are a few of my favorites...

Monday, October 22, 2012

I need a kid.

I need a kid so that I can dress them up like the ones in these photos.

Ha. I have recently become obsessed with browsing for kid's clothing online. The holidays are coming up and I have four nieces and one nephew to buy for this year. Here are a few of my favorite kid's clothing stores.. these kids are adorable.


I'm obsessed with these little botas sneakers from Tom's. So cute. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Want List

Just a couple of things I've been lusting over lately.





What a wise little nugget.

NEED.

An amazing discovery, thanks to Pinterest
"The iShower, a water-resistant music system for use as you get squeaky clean, is now shipping for $100. Despite its name, the iShower should have no trouble playing the compatibility game, thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity with support for up to five paired devices. What's more, you won't need to bust out the tools to install the iShower, as the mounting system's built-in adhesive lets you pretend to be a handyman without doing any real work -- the unit can also be hung over the shower head if you're wary of sticky residue. The music system runs on three AA batteries and provides up to 15 hours of sudsy listening time, and there's even a built-in clock, for those unfortunate mornings when you need to cut the rock operas short. " 
Featured on www.engadget.com

Amazing right?!?  This will quickly be added to my want list.

Saturday, October 13, 2012


It's 5:45 a.m., it's FREEZING, and I have to get ready for work. Boo. :(
All I wanna do is cuddle up on the couch with hubs and pup, and drink my morning coffee in cozy socks. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Happy Friday!

A Love Affair with Paris

As much as I enjoyed our time spent in London, England... For me, it did not compare to our our four days spent in Paris, France. I absolutely love this city. There was something so enticing about Paris. It was both historic and romantic in every way. We stayed in a lovely, newly-renovated hotel, called Hotel Atmospheres. We were smack dab in the middle of the Latin Quarter, which couldn't have been more perfect. There were several shops, restaurants, and food markets all within a short walk of the hotel. We spent most mornings adventuring the city and seeing the sights. We would usually return to our hotel in the late afternoon, and we would use this time to relax and rest our feet before heading out on the town for dinner and drinks. It was truly a magical vacation and I am so glad we didn't wait for our ten year anniversary to visit. We will definitely be going back one day. 

Top Ten Things We Did In Paris:
(In no particular order)
1.Spent time touring the Notre Dame Cathedral
2. Explored the Louvre (We got to see all the guests enter the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show
3. Studied the breath-taking art throughout the Musee d'Orsay
4. Had a Picnic on the greens in front of the Eiffel Tower (French wine is delicious)
5. Climbed the Arc de Triomphe and captured picturesque views of the city
6. Road bikes around Versailles (Explored Marie Antionette's Playground)
7. Took a tour of Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie
8. Enjoyed a light evening meal in the Latin Quarter
9. Ate delicious cheese and drank Cotes du Rhone on the grounds of Versailles
10. Spent evenings with our hotel windows open and listened to a live band play 1940's jazz at the cafe across the street

The iPhone was my camera, Kiel actually got some decent pictures I'll post sometime later.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

London iPhoneography

London was such an incredible city. Although the weather was a bit drab while we were there, we still managed to have a wonderful time. (My hunter boots came in handy) We stayed right by the London Eye, and had picturesque views of the city within a 2-minute walk from our hotel. Our first day was a kind of blur, seeing that we had an overnight flight and I didn't sleep too well on the plane. (Kiel was out like a light of course) We took the tube from the airport, which was an interesting experience. Mind the Gap! Our metro stop was Westminster Abbey, and when we walked up those stairs to the street, Big Ben was staring us right in the eye. We checked-in to our hotel by the early afternoon and the rest was history. We adjusted well to the time difference and spent the next four days touring the city like crazy. It was an incredible place, full of history. I would recommend it to anyone.

Top ten things we did while in London, England:
(In no particular order)
1. Walked through Covent Garden
2. Ate a hearty meal and drank cider and ale at a pub in the Picadilly Circus area
3. Took a tour of the Tower of London (Phenomenal and probably the best attraction within the city)
4. Visited the National Portrait Gallery
5. Ate banana nutella crepes and drank wine at the Real Food Festival
6. Took photos of Buckingham Palace (we missed the changing of the guard. boo. )
7. Walked through Hyde Park and ate on the Lake
8. Took photos of the city from the top of the London Eye
9. Took a tour to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge
10. Went shopping in Soho