Happy Friday, friends! I loved, loved, loved all your comments and advice yesterday! Several of you suggested I try the floral rug in our pink Dining Room…hello, genius idea! After all, the Dining Room colors came from that rug since it lives in the adjoining room. If that doesn’t work, I realized I’m not ready to let the rug go, so I loved your idea of hanging on to it for a possible future home. I wonder if Mr. Can’t Polish a Turd is up to playing musical rugs this weekend?!

1) I spotted this adorable sweater online this week, and was so smitten with the heart elbow patches that I immediately whipped up an outfit around it, using similar items from my closet. Actually, I own these exact jeans, booties and scarf, and love them more than cupcakes.

2) Deuce Cities Henhouse recently revamped the kitchen in her 100-year-old home, making it so fresh and modern, yet somehow retaining all the vintage charm. Oh yeah, and she did it for just over $2,000! That’s DIY genius at it’s finest!

3) Are these crazy-cold temperatures forcing you inside again this weekend? We get cabin fever pretty quickly, so I was thrilled to find these Indoor Snow & Ice Activities for kids on the Kiwi Crate blog. I told you about Kiwi Crates in my Favorite Things post. This link will get you $10 off your first order.

4) The new season of The Bachelor is under way, and I have to say I’m not really feeling Juan Pablo. But the best part of the show is Sheaffer’s hilarious re-caps. You don’t have to be a fan or even watch the show to love them. And this Sunday is the big wedding for Bachelor Sean and Catherine, and my friend Shay is Sean’s sister. I’m so excited to see her and her adorable kids all decked out for it! How would you wear your hair if you were a bridesmaid in a live televised wedding, watched by millions of people?!?!

 

5) I shared a bunch of the MLK sales in this post, and all are still on-going with further markdowns. Express now has 40% off everything, including my favorite blouse. How cute is this one? West Elm also has so many sales I can’t keep them all straight…from sofas and sectionals, to bedding and market…not to mention a clearance section with up to 70% off. And this hamper is cute enough to make laundry enjoyable. Almost.

 

Happy weekend, lovebugs!

P.S… the winner of the Honeywell Voice Activated Wifi Thermostat was announced here…was it you?!

How about a Hoody-Hoo for the long weekend!? I’ve got cook-outs, pool time and Summer dresses on the brain this Friday.

1) I pinned this dress from Forever 21 last week, then immediately had to order it. It appeared to be the perfect Summer dress…bright colors, light fabric, easily dressed up or down…and cheap! Unfortunately, it’s not so cute in person. Unbelted it looks like a mumu, and belting it didn’t help much either. Not to mention, the armholes are so big you can see all the lady bits up top. Total bummer, but back to the store it goes.

Natalie is a genius at flushing out the good stuff from Forever 21, so I ordered this one too, after she posted it. It looks pretty high-end in person, and the details are impressive for the price. The Love 21 line is cut more for women (as opposed to juniors), so I tried both an XS and S. One fits great on top, but the other is better on bottom TWSS. What do you think, is it a keeper? Which size looks best?

2) Now that we’re spending more time outdoors, I’m excited to pull this DIY Fedora back out! Are you a hat person?

3) My parents are moving soon, and gifting us with their super-duper, mac-daddy grill (their down-sizing means new stuff for us!). I’m not a good griller, but I’m determined to master Martha’s BBQ Chicken this weekend. I think I’ll add Shay’s Corn Salad, or Sheaffer’s Black Bean Salad to the menu. Or better yet, I’ll invite them over and they can bring both!

4) I’ll provide the rafts and a cute Patriotic Table like this one from last year. That sounds fair, don’t you think?

5) Occasionally I get asked if I help design spaces for other people. I’m much too chicken for that, and who in their right mind would want their house to look like mine a box of Crayolas?! The one place that much color and pattern is universally accepted, is in Kid’s Rooms. Those are my absolute favorite to create, too. Kirsten has partnered with Land of Nod for this fabulous series, and I’ve been devouring every post. I know my kids will want some changes to their rooms as they get older, so I’m gathering all these great ideas.  

What’s on the agenda for you? Have you found any great Summer dresses? What about grilling tips? Happy long weekend, lovebugs!