My son's "Monster Splash Bash"

This week we gave our son a "Monster Splash Bash" to celebrate his second birthday! Here's my little monster sporting his "oh-so-appropriate" swim trunks!

As the little ones walked up to the party they were greeted by monster beach balls! It did not take long before they were in the little pool!

 The pinwheels were placed by the pool and water station, simply because a pinwheel reminds of my childhood!

Also by the splashing zone was a "monster tattoo parlor!"

The selection of tattoo options. 

 

After the monster/monsterette splashing, we headed to the back patio for more fun!

   I set up an activity table that included monster coloring books and crayons, bendable monster figures and blinking squishy balls! 

Monster bean ball toss anyone? 

Since the celebration was an afternoon playdate from 3:30 to 5:30 I wanted to serve dinner. I did a very simple, yet nutritional summer meal for the fourteen little ones. We served beef sliders, corn on the cob and watermelon! 



Chocolate milk or water was served in these colorful little cups with straws I made.

Monster lollipops!

Here I am serving up "monster" bite size cupcakes and ice cream nibbles!

 

These adorable monsters came packaged with stickers to create your own monsters. My daughter decorated all the monsters/monsterettes for the party. I used these as seat assignments on each chair!

I bought simple party hats and added the ribbon to the top of each one.  

My son's monster made an appearance the entire party!

Colorful touches.


  Each little party goer was given a monster bedtime book dispelling the thought of a monster under the bed.  It's a very cute read!

Monster fun was had by all!

Newport, Rhode Island

Last weekend my husband and I had the pleasure of attending a wedding in the waterfront town of Newport. Have you been? It's such a special place...the historical mansions, the boating community, the charming town and along with the history makes it a lovely place to spend a summer weekend. It's been ten years since I spent time in Newport and returning made me realize how much I love the area. The wedding was held at the beautiful Rosecliff mansion. The mansion was built in the early 1900's by an heiress who entertained on a grand scale. This wedding would have made the original owner proud...it was magical! 

 

The bride and groom arrived in style!

 The cocktail hour was held in the garden overlooking the water, the fountain and the statues...it was a feast for the eyes (and the appetite!)

It was a 4pm wedding, so I could have some fun with my wedding attire! Here I am in the garden.

  

The inside of the mansion was stunning!

 

This is the ceiling in the grand ballroom. 

 

Another ceiling in one of the siderooms.

The grand staircase off the foyer.

 

The best part about the weekend was witnessing two wonderful people tie the knot! If you plan a trip to Newport, take time to visit the mansions...www.newportmansions.org...you won't be disappointed! 

Nate Berkus

The handsome and talented interior designer, Nate Berkus, will have his own show this Fall! I was thrilled to hear the news from fellow blogger, http://www.prettypinktulips.com/! The show will tape in NYC and you can be a part of the audience! If you live in the NY area or will be traveling to NYC, send an e-mail to audience@thenateshow.com in hopes of securing show tickets to one of his tapings.  I champion Nate's design sensibilities...his interiors are always chic, functional and absolutely stunning! Guess you can say I'm doing the happy dance that I got tickets to an August taping! Not only am I going to see "easy on the eye Nate", but I'll be meeting up with some other bloggers!

Check out site http://www.nateberkus.com/ 

Go Home Ltd.

Go Home Ltd. offers chic pieces that you don't see everywhere, as well as some fun furnishings for the home. I recently received two orders: one for my home and one for a client's. Here are my new treasures...

This marble top side table is in my living room.

I ordered two of these mirrors to go in our master bedroom. We have mirrored bedside tables and I wanted to do something interesting, chic and not seen before over each table. These mirrors are new to their collection, so I'm excited to have them! Once they are hung I'll share some photos.

This might be one of the more fabulous Tic Tac Toe sets I've seen. I placed it in our living room. We received this on Monday and I've played more games with my daughter than I can count...she loves "winning"...wink, wink! I hope seeing this sitting in the room invites people to a quick game.  

Check out their website http://www.gohomeltd.com/ I'm going to do another post of their additional offerings. Go Home Ltd. sells to the trade only. Enjoy your day!

Hamptons Happiness

During the summer months I'm doing a Hamptons Happiness series...all things about the Hamptons that make me happy. Without hestitation, the chic shop, Maison 24 in Bridgehampton is on my list. To walk around this shop is to have your design senses stimulated! It all begins with the front door...how inviting, right?

This Louis XV indoor/outdoor chair has been creating quite a buzz! I keep reading about it in all the Hamptons "reading material." I can just envision the space I would create with two of these chairs on a back deck! I also think the pool wagon is quite functional and adorable!    

The man decal below is the perfect whimsical piece for a very chic home. Would he not look great in a small foyer? The simple hook makes him practical for holding handbags, bookbags, etc. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun piece without a long term commitment...he is a peel away decal. Affordable too. 

Love the wallpaper and the bedside tables!

You can even purchase a timeless toy for the little tyke in life.

These chairs are certain to create smiles in a home! Life should be fun, right? 

 The layout of the furnishings in Maison 24 create an inviting space making you feel like you've entered a stylish home. If in the Hamptons this summer, a visit to this store would leave you smiling ear to ear! If you won't be visiting the Hamptons, check out their website...it too, is fabulous! http://www.maison24.com/

Happy Monday my friends! 

West Elm's new tripod table = perfection

Many of you know by now that I have an affinity for orange accents in a home. When it comes to designing interiors, I do a lot of custom/semi-custom pieces, seek one of a kind furnishings and work with to-the-trade only companies, but I'm always one to keep my eyes open for a fabulous retail find. I enjoy mixing higher-end pieces with affordable retail finds to create a stylish interior. West Elm's new tripod table in saffron is fabulous! It was sheer luck that I happened to be at West Elm the day a sales associate was putting this table on the floor, as I don't live near a West Elm and only go about once a year.  As soon as I spotted this table I knew it belonged in our Hamptons home.    

    

Visit West Elm's website to look at this new table http://www.westelm.com/. It comes in two other colors, but the saffron and the white are my favorites. This table is chic, simple and striking all at once! Have a wonderful weekend!