Buttoned Up

Style Me Pretty

How adorable is this cake with buttons on it?! So whimsical and unique! I'm also in love with the tree trunk cake plate...very rustic!

Lather Up

Mmmm…I’d love to take a leisurely bubble bath in any one of these bathrooms. I love the designs of these spaces – it’s relaxing, functional, and stylish, just what a bathroom should be.

Source: Pinterest

New Obsession: Ame & Lulu

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, summer is right around the corner. And thank goodness, I am definitely ready for it. Heaven for the preppy fashionista, Ame & Lulu offers accessories for all your summering needs…tennis or golf, yoga or travel. And let me tell you, their patterns are to die for. One, specifically, I have fallen in love with. Head over heels. Hook, line, and sinker.

Enough with the clichés. Just see for yourself.

This is the pattern in question. Swoon.

I want to buy an iPad just so I can have this cover.

Source: ameandlulu.com

Sun-Kissed Bliss

Just discovered fab.com, with new mega sales every day. Even if you're not actively in search of something, it provides great inspiration and lots of really cool products. One of today's features is Sunny Life: Beach Cargo from Down Under, and I am loving their selection! Very nautical and stripe-y...perfect if you're heading to the beach this holdiay weekend! Available at reduced prices for a limited time only on fab.com .

Source: fab.com 

Bird Brooch

Okay, I've given you a play-by-play of my trip, so now it's back to normal! And what a lovely, whimsical way to break back into a normal routine. I found this company via The Pampered Sparrow, and immediately fell in love with this bird brooch. The monochromatic theme is very sharp-looking, but the design of the bird adds a dash of whimsy to the look. I think I like the tail of the bird the best!

Source: thecuriouspancake.co.uk

Book Review: Solace by Belinda McKeon

Bought this in the Dublin airport to read on the plane on the way home. The Irish edition (pictured above) was named Ireland’s Book of the Year of 2011, so I figured I had to try it out.

The characters are filled with so much promise and hope at the beginning, yet all hopes are dashed by the end of this heartbreakingly beautiful novel, where everyone must learn to move on. The feud between fathers likens this to a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, and I get lost in the language, which is Irish through and through. Without giving too much away, this is a love story at its finest.

Source: amazon.co.uk

Shopping Trip

One of my favorite things to do when I head to Europe is shop. Clothes just seem to fit better over there, and I love their styles. I discovered three fabulous shops on my most recent trip.

Dublin had arguably the best shopping of all 3 places I visited. Wallis, incidentally a British shop, I found on Grafton Street in Dublin. Lots of cute things; I bought an adorable and sophisticated flapper-style dress here (I've been in search of a good one for years and was so excited to find it!)

A | wear, also found on Grafton Street, is, as you can see above, full of chic basics. They are an Irish chain, they ship to the States, and have a really adorable selection. 

How did I not know about Mango before now?! It took going to Amsterdam to get in touch with this awesome store. I (wrongly) thought it was a European chain, but they are actually worldwide, with shops in the US even. The closest one to me is New York, but there are also locations in California, Nevada, Florida, and Puerto Rico, in case you were wondering. Absolutely ADORED everything in there…they have great basics that are just a little bit different.

Source: wallis.co.uk, awear.com, mango.com