Get Benched!

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The other day I found this image of this inviting bench and it reminded me of my favorite corner in our kitchen.  It's a cozy spot to kick off your shoes, curl up, eat grapes and guacamole - in these cute little bowls that we found at HomeGoods - one of my other favorite places:).   

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Other Images: Trae Bien

Find your...

Happy Monday!

Image: HGTV.com

Have a Nature Inspired Weekend!

Has anyone noticed the increase in the number of butterflies this summer?  I have!  There have been so many in a beautiful array of colors and patterns.  At the beginning of summer, my niece and I saved a caterpillar from being stepped on at our barbecue.  The caterpillar was black with brilliant vibrant blue markings - I now see this  remarkable creature flittering around our back yard and it brought friends:) - bright yellow and orange monarchs!  Recently, my sister and I were at a garden nursery and she excitedly pointed out a huge one with a most stunning design.  Sometimes we need to look no further than nature to appreciate all of God's beautiful creations.  Before the summer ends, take a moment to appreciate these gifts from God - enjoy!

• Most butterflies prefer flowers that are pink, red, purple, or yellow and that are open all day.
• Butterflies generally fly only during the day, at night they sleep between blades of grass or find the underside of a leaf.
• Butterfly wings are covered with tiny scales, each a single color.
  These colors are produced by pigments. The iridenscence of some butterflies results from a reflective microstructure on the scale's surface.
• Adult butterflies communicate through chemical cues - the males produce chemicals called pheromones to seduce the females. :)
• Female butterflies usually are bigger and live longer than male butterflies.
• Butterfly wings get their color from tiny scales. Their wings have 125,000 scales per square inch. Compare that to a human head, which has only about 100 hairs per square inch. 
• The veins on a butterfly’s wing work like supporting bars in a kite. 
• Butterflies “smell” with their antennae and “taste” with their feet. 
• Your garden can make a difference to the shrinking habitat of butterflies. Different flowers arranged at different heights will give shelter and provide nectar that will draw a variety of butterflies. Fill in the outskirts with low growing thymes and sedums.
• Butterflies are attracted by varying degrees to a flower's color, shape or smell, but the biggest draw is the nectar. An abundance of flowers will invite butterflies to explore. Flowering plants in large groups are preferable to a few isolated plants here and there.
• Generally plants that have sweet smelling flowers in warm colors such as yellow, red, orange and blue blossoms.  By selecting plants that have an abundance of nectar, you will have a cloud of butterflies beating their wings to your garden path.
• There are about 20,000 species of butterflies and more than 200,000 species of moths.
• Most butterflies live 20 to 40 days. However, some species live only 3 or 4 days, while a few survive up to 10 months. 

Photo Credits:  National Geographic,  AndysLens.com, Trae Bien 
For more on butterflies click here and here. 

Valentino still loves me...

❤ because his designers created these boots....

and these beyond beautiful treasures!   

Don't you just love a designer who loves women and wants them to be at their feminine best?  Although Valentino retired a few years ago, the clothing empire that he created fortunately still embraces his vision and brilliant eye for feminine detail - thank you Valentino!  We still love you too! 

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Seeing Pink!

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Lately, I keep seeing pink sofas everywhere (I know, I should contact a doctor immediately:) and I LOVE them!   You should know that my LOVE for the color pink did not begin until I reached my 30's - YES, I agree - why so late?!  I also never played with Barbie dolls, but let's not turn this into a therapy session - unless, I get to lie on a pink sofa - hmmm...

Now, the color pink has become an obsession for me, it's as though I made the decision to unashamedly embrace my inner girlie girl, which has apparently been clawing to get out for quite some time - who knew?   Years ago, when my boyfriend and I shared an apartment,  we safely chose beige and white with accents of brown and green - I threw in orange pillows to be daring.  I discovered that in a relationship, it's all about compromise - the dirty "C" word.    So, I dumped him and voila, compromise no more:)!  My new apartment was filled with beautiful colors - not all pink, accents of it.  But when I hung my pink silk taffeta cascading curtains up for Christmas, I loved them so much, that I kept them on my windows all year.    Not of all of my pink choices have been successful though - I once bought a pink suit for an interview (again, remember that I was obsessed) with Martha Stewart - I thought for sure Martha would LOVE pink - I did not land the job, but instead found myself on the Upper East side looking for the other "Ladies who Lunch."   I am in no way suggesting that if you are in a relationship that you dump your man but, just like men have the "Man Cave", we should insist on having our Lady's Lair or Divas Den, besides- caves are way to musty and dank.  So, get to your "happy place" and embrace pink - you know you want to!  Here are a few ideas to get you started...

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Pants:  Jcrew;  Throw:  Calypso; Riondo Pink Proseco, Room: Country Living

Fall Marches In!

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Marching bands have always been a sign of that a new Autumn school season is about to begin. In high school, we performed in a parade that ran straight through town - it was exhilarating! Family, neighbors and friends gathered to celebrate and kick-off a new season of sports - particularly football.  I was a color guard and our uniforms were fashionable and fierce!  As this new Fall season nears, here are a few looks that I would like to have march into my closet - enjoy!

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Credits:  Vera Wang, Isabel Marant, Burberry Prorsum, Clements Ribeiro, Altuzarra, Cynthia Steffe, Prada, Thakoon, Tory Burch, Tracy Reese, Zac Posen,