Ever since Max came back from his preschool with a super precious t-shirt that they tie dyed as a summer project, I’ve been thinking that I need to incorporate some into my own wardrobe. I searched the web and found some super chic options.
What do you think of tie dye?? Is it totally ‘now’ or just something that belongs in decades past?
As part of my slow-going project, called Finding Splendor, I wanted to create an inspiration wall in our design studio. I needed a place to post all the things that inspire me and a place to jot down ideas. Last week, with a little help from Matthew & Carolina, we finally got it done!! I think it’s a fun little wall in our studio that we can build on for ever-changing bits of inspiration.
So, what do you think??
I just adore Kyle of Knight Moves! Being from the same town, she and I have had the pleasure of meeting several times & I can tell you she’s just as adorable in person as she is on her blog. She’s a fellow blogger & designer, so I look forward to getting to know her much better! Cocktails, Kyle?! Without further ado… Meet Kyle of Knight Moves!
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Besides the really important stuff like family, friends, and good health, here are ten things that make my life splendid…
Wear :: Fun clothes, shoes, and accessories all fall under the umbrella of fashion, which is certainly a component of a splendid life! While I like all of the aforementioned facets of fashion, the following are specific elements that I wouldn’t want to live without. For starters, I’m a maniac for scarves and I love wearing them in all kinds of ways. For jewelry, I wear the same necklace and watch every single day along with my wedding ring so earrings are usually my main outfit-specific accessory. Big, cabochon earrings are definitely my style. Also, I’m shoe-obsessed. I mostly wear Tom’s and Rainbow flip flops, but for parties and going out, nude peep-toe pumps are my go-to. Finally, I wear my hair in a bun constantly and I swear by Goody Spin Pins.Indulge :: Along with laying out by the pool, getting a manicure and pedicure is a favorite indulgence of mine. I’ve gotten hooked on the new gel polish for my fingers. CND’s Shellac is the best!
Nest :: Our bedroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house. Our bed is super comfy…honestly I get kind of excited to get in it every night!
Drink :: My husband and I drink an obscene amount of G2. I am also a tea fanatic…I like lots of varietals but Paris by Harney & Sons is my top pick. I add honey and a bit of cream…splendid, indeed. For booze, I’m a non-discriminating bubbly drinker.
Eat :: Sushi is one of my favorite meals and both R+D Kitchen and Shinsei in Dallas make awesome pressed sushi [photo via Dallas Modern Luxury], which is how I like it best. I’m also a whore for desserts and love simple chocolately things like donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate cake!
Make :: I really like to sew and thankfully Dallas has a hip sewing scene thanks to City Craft! This is project that I recently finished, an outdoor bench cushion. I had to sew a new cover for it because the squirrels tore up the old one…plus it was ugly 
I also really love to paint and I’m hoping to make more time for both sewing and painting this summer.
Plant :: Since moving into a house with a big yard, I’ve become fixated on gardening and landscaping. I have an urge to plant trees, hydrangeas, yews, and roses ALL over our yard. I never thought I’d say this, but there is something really gratifying about growing (aka not killing) plants! In the fall I’m hoping to finally plant the vegetable garden I’ve been dreaming of.
Watch :: As far as TV goes, I recently got into the show After Lately and I’m anxiously awaiting the return of Mad Men. In terms of movies, we never go to the theater so I know nothing current! Notable movies that come to mind include A Single Man, An Education, and The King’s Speech.
Visit :: I will never get enough of Paris…it’s my goal to go at least every few years! There is so much to see and do and I admire the French lifestyle.
Volunteer :: For over five years now, I’ve been a foster mom with Russell Rescue, a rescue group for Jack Russell Terriers. While I can get extremely disheartened by all of the cruel and negligent people out there, it’s really rewarding to be a part of rescue. I’ve been blessed with wonderful foster dogs and with equally wonderful adopting families. Also, two of our “permanent” dogs, Jazzy and Miley, were former fosters that we fell in love with and didn’t want to adopt out…and they are certainly a splendid part of my life!
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Thanks so much for sharing your splendor, Kyle!!
Be sure to hop on over to Kyle’s blog, Knight Moves, for some inspiration!
Last Sunday I spent some time organizing all my loose recipes. I thought it would just get my life organized, but really it got me really excited about cooking more and helped me find some old recipes that have been tucked away. Since I posted this on twitter & facebook, I’ve gotten several requests about how I organized it! Well, I’m sharing the entire easy process with you…
3-ring binder: The key is to use a D-ring binder for easy page turning. I like white because color can actually have a psychological affect on your appetite! Well, hey, if you’re on a diet you may want to use a binder in the color blue to tame your appetite!
sheet protectors: All my recipes go into sheet protectors so I can pull it out, cook, then wipe it down and put it back in my book.
adhesive tabs: the adhesive tabs are important because when you use standard sheet dividers, the tabs will get lost behind all you recipes in sheet protectors. You simply add these to a sheet protector and it’s an instant page divider.
As, you can see above, I also printed sheet inserts for each tab divider. I organized my recipe collection into tabs that worked for my family. You can do yours however it works for you! Here are my tabs:
Breakfast & Brunch Appetizers & Bites Soup, Salad, & Sandwiches Sides Pasta, Potato, & Grain Dishes Meat Dishes Fish & Seafood Dishes Crockpot Dishes Desserts Cocktails & BeveragesYou may want to add a tab for Vegetable Dishes if you eat a lot of main dishes that are vegetable, but these are typically Sides for us. So, I decided not to use that tab.
Use images whenever possible! I find that when I don’t have an image with my recipe it’s not nearly as appetizing. Usually when you’re tearing from magazines, the picture is on a different page than the recipe. Simply cut it out and tape it together. (see above)
Try to keep your recipe pages as clean as possible. When you tear magazine pages there may be other things on the page that don’t include food. Cut your recipe out and paste it on a white piece of paper and insert into your sheet protector. Do the same for the small recipe cards that friends and family give you. I just hate those little floating recipe cards!
Keep it all on one page. The key here is to be able to take a sheet protector out to cook and not do any flipping. If it’s a recipe that was printed from a website or it was from a magazine and it’s on two pages, just chop it up and tape it to a blank sheet of paper to contain it on one page. I promise, it will be way more organized and much easier to cook this way!
Use the back and front of a sheet protector. I have one recipe on one side and a completely unrelated recipe in that same category on the back. I like this because you don’t have to worry about organization within the tabs. You will constantly be adding to each tab & you don’t want to have to re-adjust everything when you add a recipe. Plus, those pesky sheet protectors aren’t cheap!
Did you see that rice salad recipe in my book above?? Well, here it is! I made it this week and it was delicious! A perfect summer recipe. Refreshing & filling! This will be in our permanent collection, for sure! Here’s the recipe…
from Real Simple Magazine
Ingredients
Directions
The whole process is really simple and, for me, quite cathartic. If you take on this project (or this rice salad) shoot me a tweet at @hellosplendor! I’d love to see how yours turned out & re-tweet it to everyone!
How do you organize your recipes?
Good morning & happy monday!! I don’t know about you, but I’m having a little trouble getting started this morning… Some weeks I start out feeling ready to take on the world an some weeks get to a slower start. But, this sweet little cup is giving me a touch of inspiration to fuel up and get going!
How is your start to the week?? Are you dragging or are you taking the bull by the horns?
**Congrats to the Shabby Apple Dress giveaway, Christy (@yanuzo)!! Thanks to everyone who entered!**
I’m always a fan of the jewel toned peacock hues, but I really love this more purple-y blue & yellow take on my favorite scheme. This, along with the painfully hot three-digit temps, has me yearning for fall! Though, adding in these summery yellows make this a perfect ensemble for both summer and fall. Oh… fall… I’m dreaming of you.
I always get excited when we send out emails for Pulp Design Studios! It usually means something good is happening for us! This time, we’re featured in D Home Magazine and I got to share 25 of my favorite things… But, the fun part!? We’re counting down my 25 favorite things on Pulp’s facebook & twitter pages AND we’re doing GIVEAWAYS of some of the items! I loved sharing some of the things I love with D Home, so we thought why not share the love?!
Join PULP in the fun for giveaways through the months of July & August…
Happy Monday!! It’s always nice to kick off the week with a little fun & fashion, right?!
Well, Shabby Apple has generously offered up one of their amazing Women’s Dresses for a giveaway to Hello, Splendor readers! It’s such a summery chic little dress, isn’t it? Be sure to check out the rest of their online collection of gorgeous dresses, too!
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TO ENTER:
Simply ‘Like’ the Shabby Apple facebook page.
Leave a comment on this post to let me know you liked their page. Your comment will serve as your entry!
BONUS ENTRY:
Tweet about this giveaway! Mention @hellosplendor & provide a link to this giveaway.
Leave a separate comment on this post as an additional entry!
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*Only U.S. Residents are eligible to enter. Sorry international friends!
You have until midnight on Friday to enter.
The winner will be announced next Monday, July 18th!
Good luck & Happy Monday!!
*** And, if you shop this dress this week, get 10% off using promocode: hellosplendor10off ***
Today I want to introduce you to the amazingly talented Amber Venz! Not only is she an incredible jewelry designer here in Dallas with her own line, aptly named Amber Venz, but she also authors an amazing blog, called Venz Edits. Oh, and did I mention she’s the creator of a cool new way to monetize your blog, called Reward Style?? If you’re a blogger, check it out and tell her I sent you!
Without further ado, see the gorgeous Amber Venz’s and what makes for this blogger’s splendor…
Wear :: Giles & Brother Bangle; PS1
Nest :: Pottery Barn paperwhite scented timber candle; Missoni robe; Arteriors blue lamp
Eat :: Queso & Chicken Pad Thai (extra chicken, medium spicey)
Make :: Jewelry
Listen :: Shwayze/ Adele
Watch :: BRAVO, Californication, BIg Love (RIP), Gossip Girl
Read :: Bazaar, Lucky
Visit :: Almalfi Coast, Italy
Give :: Love, Hope, Strength
Love :: boyfriend Baxter
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Thanks so much for being here, Amber!
Hop on over to the La Dolce Vita blog, where Paloma of High Gloss Magazine asked me to share my dream home room-by-room! It was such a fun exercise to play the role as ‘client’ for once and think about what I wanted… Go check it out and tell me what you think!!
image via Desire to Inspire
It’s funny how things end up working out… We don’t really spend much time outside at our house. We take Max places, but we don’t just ‘go outside’. I wanted to change that so I created a ‘project’ for myself. Hence, the Finding Splendor series (which has been somewhat dormant, but making a comeback!). I thought that if I spent a bunch of time and money to create a space for our family outside that we would spend more time out there. Well, the reality is… We just needed to ‘go outside’!! Take a look at our fun Fourth of July day outside as a family with our little blow up pool.
And, guess what, it’s our very first time to spend time out there since we bought this house over 4 years ago. Who knew there was such fun to be had right at our fingertips!? Sometimes you just need to simply go outside…
Do you spend time outside at your own home?? What have you done to make your outdoor space inviting?
All photos by Kevin Dotolo
