Ferns Are The New Black

I recently took on a new (and exciting!!!) project with a local family, and while looking at inspiration for a room that could double as a sunroom I came across this image and all I can say is FERNS! 

As someone who loves having a bounty of greenery in my home, I can't believe that I don't have any of these beauties in my own space. They add so much color and texture to any room, and I have to ask... are ferns the new fiddle leaf fig tree? Okay, I won't get too ahead of myself, but given the fact that they can go almost anywhere unlike a large tree I think we are going to see more and more of these popping up in homes and magazines in the near future and here are just a few reasons why. 

A Painted Door

 

I've said it here a million times before (and I'm sure I will say it a million more) but without a doubt the easiest and cheapest way to transform your space is by just adding a coat of paint. In our own home I have pretty much re-painted everything, including the kitchen cabinets, ceilings, bathrooms, even the stairs, and without a doubt it what has given our space its character. I realize not everyone is brave enough to paint and entire room on a whim, and admittedly even my paint loving self started with a small accent wall in the kitchen (which subsequently was painted 4 different colors in the same week) so I get the hesitation when it comes to taking the plunge. Lately, I've been seeing quite a few images of homes that have a statement interior door painted a fun or moody color and I have to say I love the look! I'm considering doing this to our guest room door which faces the living room, and after writing this post I'm pretty sure I'm going to take the plunge using the above blue door above as inspiration! 

Here are a few other homes that absolutely nailed painted door! You have to give them major points for taking the plunge, but like I always say, it's just paint so you can always change it back!

Jenna Lyons Inspired Mother's Day Gifts

One of the best gifts I ever received was from my best friend in Law School. Right before our first visit to Costa Rica (ever!) she gave me a beach tote filled with sunscreen, candy, magazines, and books. It was so thoughtful, and was the perfect thing to receive before our trip!

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd put together some Jenna Lyons inspired Mother 's Day gifts centered around our tote for all the lovely ladies in your life. I realize that no woman is just one thing, so certainly you can pick and choose through the options, but I would imagine that any woman would be thrilled to receive our tote filled with goodies! For those of you who want to grab a Jenna for yourself, we are running low on the totes so make sure to get yours before she sells out!


The Design Fanatic 

1.The Jenna Tote// 2. My new favorite design book, I am pouring over every page! // 3. A classic, I still pick this up every month for inspiration // 4. A great design book local celebrity Erin Gates, this reads like a novel and has some great tips that anyone can incorporate into their space 

The Book Worm

1. The Jenna // 2. A fun thriller she won't be able to put down // 3. My favorite read of the year. Grab the tissues for this one. // 4. A reader recommended this to me and I now tell everyone to read it! It's non-fiction but reads like a thriller // 5. I loved this sweet story about a woman who sufferers from temporary amnesia // 6. Who doesn't love a new pair of glasses? These frames from Warby Parker are a favorite of mine

The Baker

1. The Jenna // 2. The coolest rolling pin EVER //3. I love this cookbook from Food 52 // 4. Star Wars pankake cutters... sure to make mom and the kiddos smile // 5. Princess cookie cutters perfect for all the princesses in your life

The Lux Mom

1. The Jenna// 2. The candle on everyone's wish list // 3. I feel like everyone is talking about this shampoo, it's supposed to completely transform your hair // 4. I'm dying to try this mask that is made with actual gold

The Capsule Wardrobe

^^^^^

{pure minimal closet envy}

When it comes to your wardrobe, is less really more? The older I get, the more I believe this to be the absolute truth.

Last weekend, I took on my annual closet purge. At the end I was left with one large bag of clothing for my sister, one to consign,* one to donate and I have to admit I'm still tempted to do even more. Lately, I find myself wearing the same thing (or a new version of the same thing) day after day, and  if it isn't black, white, or gray it seems like I'm not really interested. (In truth if it isn't black I'm not really interested but if the weather EVER gets a little warmer maybe I'll change my tune...)

This is why I absolutely love the idea of a capsule wardrobe. 

My Sister's Wedding: The Linens

It's hard to believe it, but we are actually in the final stages of planning my sister's July wedding! Flowers and invitations have been ordered. The caterer and bartender are set. Dresses and suits are done, and we have already scheduled our trial appointments for hair and makeup. Right now we are working on the little details (which I think is really what makes a great wedding no matter the budget) and we've hit a bit of a roadblock when it comes to the linens.

The short version is that they are expensive as hell and we hate them all.

The long version goes something like this.

Bohemian Inspired Home Decor

 

A few days back my sister-in-law mentioned the newly released design book The New Bohemians and from the second I saw what was inside I have been obsessed! My copy just arrived and I cannot wait to spend every free second this weekend pouring over the pages. I absolutely am in love with bohemian inspired design, and if I wasn't such a clutter phobe in my every day life I would definitely carry this look throughout every room in our house! We always talk about building a home in Costa Rica, and you can bet if/ when that happens I'm going for a design scheme that encapsulates this style to the letter. Need proof, just check out my Pinterest board, it's pretty much bohemian heaven!

Here are a few of my favorite images from the book. If I could instantly beam myself into any of these homes I absolutely would! It's funny, in Winter I find myself craving a more minimalist home but come Spring all bets are off!

Newest Style Crush: Anine Bing

 

A few weeks ago I was looking for some inspiration on Instagram when I discovered my newest style crush Anine Bing. I'm not going to lie, at first it was her incredibly chic bob that drew me to her, but after a few minutes on her site my crush grew into something real. What can I say, this lady has some incredible style? I've mentioned here before that more and more I'm finding myself gravitating towards black, white and grey in my daily uniform, and no one seems to capture the essence of simple dressing better than Ms. Bing. She has absolutely obtained the LA "cool girl" look, which considering that she used to be a Danish model is fairly impressive.

Our 9 Favorite Breakfast (for dinner, or lunch, or desert) Recipes

SANDWICH WITH RICOTTA CHEESE, HONEY, ROSEMARY AND FIGS

The line between breakfast and dinner is one that is more often than not blurred in the Anderson household.

Weekend Links

Happy Friday! What are you all up to this weekend? The weather around here promises to be beautiful (above 70!!!) so I plan on spending as much time outside as is humanly possible. This is also our last skate free, lacrosse free weekend which means we have very little on the agenda which  is incredibly nice. I finished The Jinx last night (my jaw is still on the floor) and am trying to push my husband to start watching Bloodline this weekend. Did any of you watch it? Is it good? Even though we only watch one program a night, it's funny to me how important our "shows" have become to us. Having a little something to look forward to every night sure makes the day go faster! Whatever your plans are I wish you a wonderful weekend! Here are a few fun links from around the web to kick off this rainy Friday. xx

I'm kind of obsessed with Carolyn Murphy's new haircut. It's taking everything I have not to got for the chop!

The most flattering jumpsuit that I forgot to mention in yesterday's post. 

Goodbye winter coat! Each year I feel this so deeply, and at this point would rather burn my parka than put in on again. (p.s. I've been freezing at night without it, so there's that)

I've watched this video on ""the two minute face" about a dozen times, and it has completely changed my beauty routine!

Will you regret your tattoos when you get older? (I may or may not have 4!!! small ones now) If they look anything like this, probably not. 

Speaking of aging, I'm pretty sure @baddiewinkle is having way more fun than most of us. Her Instagram slays me!

One of my favorite NYC haunts Eataly is coming to Boston! This is going to be amazing for my stomach, and dangerous to my waistline. Truthfully, this is going to be really great for our city and breathe some new life into the Pru! 

I know I talk a lot about frivolous fashion, but what this company is doing is so incredible and I am absolutely donating to this cause! They created a shoe that lasts five years, and can grow five sizes! Just think about what that means for children in developing countries! For 10 dollars you can gift a pair and even choose the region you want it to go to.  What an incredibly genius invention.

Iris Apfel doesn't do normcore. 

These emails acted out in real life made me laugh out loud. I can't even imagine what mine would look like. I am a frequent over-user of the exclamation point so I think there would have to be a lot of yelling and jumping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11 influential women you should know. Oh, and how about Hillary!!!

Sadly, this really is what that college rejection letter means these days. 

5 closet cleaning tips. I find that the less I have in my closet, the less I buy. Cleaning out our closets is on the top of my list this weekend! The other night I tread to squeeze Gray into some size three jammies. Let's just say it wasn't happening!

...and once you have that closet cleaned out, J.Crew head stylist's tips for a timeless style. Less is always more!

Photo via Style Me Pretty

Jumpsuits For The Win!

Last weekend my sister accompanied me to an event for Gray's school, and by chance we both wore our trusty jumpsuits. This should come as no surprise to me considering that ever since I picked mine  up last year I have pretty much worn it anywhere and everywhere. It is without a doubt my absolute favorite piece of clothing that I have ever owned.

LAX

I have big news to report from the Anderson family!

A Glam Apartment- The Master Bedroom

I mentioned last week that I'm currently working on an incredible design project which entails adding some glamour to my best friend's beautiful city apartment. I can't even tell you what fun we've had mapping out the space and now that almost everything has been ordered I am counting the weeks until we can put it all together!

The first space we tackled was the living room, and now we are working on the master bedroom. Like  in the living room I wanted to add a bit of drama and visual impact to the space, but for the master I also wanted it to have a serene feel since this is where the couple spends most of their time once they get their four kids down for the night. The room itself is on the smaller size, but what it lacks in space it absolutely makes up for in character! There are huge bay windows which get a ton of light, a fireplace, incredible moulding, and hardwood floors. We are pretty much starting from scratch, which considering the "bones" of the room is a pretty amazing place to begin.

Our 8 Favorite One Pot Meals

Since we've been back from Spring Break I've been more motivated than usual to break out the old cookbooks err pinboards and try out some new recipes. As much as I love traveling, I have to say that while we are away I am constantly dreaming of my first trip back to Whole Foods to stock up on what I consider our "basics." I don't know about you all, but we eat so many of the same types of food each week that any deviation from the norm usually leaves me feeling a little "yuck". Getting our hands on kale where we stay in Costa Rica is something like a navy seal mission, with quite a bit of planning, timing, luck, and lots of walking involved.  Truthfully, it just reminds me to be grateful that every day back home that I am able to walk into a grocery and stock up on healthy food with very little effort. 

Most Wanted

A few years back my good friend Anne emailed me and said something to the effect of, "what do you think about Birkenstocks and their revival?"

My response: Meh

Well... I am the first to admit when I am wrong and now two years later I can say there is no other shoe I love more than my Birks. I purchased two pairs last year and pretty much wore one down to the sole on our last Costa Rica trip and I was trying to figure out which pair I'd get (I love the white but can't imagine how dirty it would end up) when I saw these.

Do or Don't? Nail Art.

Do you think nail art is a do or a don't? I used to say never but I'm pretty sure I've changed my tune.

Surf Inspired Home Decor

 

As a former California girl who sometimes feels a little landlocked living in the city, one of my favorite things to incorporate into my home decor is a few surf inspired pieces.  By using art that brings in the colors of the ocean you can easily create a beautiful and serene space and when you add in the surfer component you get an instant "cool" effect. No matter what your design style is, this look easily translates from modern to traditional, and is best when done on a large scale. 

Rainy Day Chic

via man repeller

A Glam City Apartment

Now that my home project is completely wrapped and published I was looking to take on a new (and big) job. I'm absolutely loving e-design, but there is nothing like really standing in a home with a vision that I can see through from beginning to end. The challenge of course is finding a great space in need of a little love, and even better one that is a blank canvas. Well, the stars have aligned and I am so excited because right now I am working on a HUGE new project! Huge. If that wasn't exciting enough, I'm doing it with/ for my very best friend and you guys... just wait until you see what we've got planned. My heart honestly starts palpitating when I think how we are going to transform her home.

Happy Easter (Bunny)

Do most of you celebrate Easter? We don't really recognize the day beyond the egg hiding, egg dying, and candy eating part, but I must admit it's always one of my favorite holidays of the year because it means that Spring is on its way. I always forget to get something for the boys, and today I did my annual mad dash to CVS and the bookstore to stock up on some goodies, lest Sunday morning arrive and the Easter Bunny skipped our house. Even though we don't really decorate, there is one tradition I've kept going for about 20 years, since my sister was little, which is putting these bunny footprints around the house to signal that the man with the big ears was here. We always forget to put them out, until late Saturday night and then we have to frantically place them all around the house. I'm pretty sure this weekend will be no different since we are finally starting this show!

For those of you who celebrate the day, or have kiddos I've rounded up a few fun Easter themed links from around the web. xx

How beautiful are these DIY marbled easter eggs? As someone who is excited when I can get two different shades on each side of the egg, color me impressed!

I'm absolutely make this bunny shaped ice cream cone for the boys Sunday night. I'll probably just stick some cut marshmallows on the top of some pink ice cream, but for those of you who are super crafty, here is the tutorial for the sweetness above.

Tomorrow I'm upping the pink factor in my hair, and I'm using this as my inspiration. Pastel pink, just in time for Easter!

I love this idea for an Easter themed school snack! You could always substitute baby carrots, or cheese crackers for a healthier alternative. 

This Robin's egg themed cake is way beyond my skill set, but I just think it is so beautiful. For you bakers out there is actually a tutorial if you are up for the challenge!

15 of the best brunch recipes for Easter.

These pom pom chicks are adorable! I'm filing this away for next year!

Lastly, did you all know that the best way to make hard boiled eggs is actually to bake them? Seriously! I tried it a few years back and not only does it make the egg taste better but it also makes you house and freezer smell free. 

It Was Bound To Happen

Our last day in Costa Rica the LM wanted just one more session at the local skate park, and of course I was more than happy to oblige.  He met up with some of the local kids and was having the time of his life.

Until...

April Fools!

 Turns out that my boys REALLY do not want a baby sister ;)

My Summer Swimwear Picks

Last year I discovered the brand MIKOH Swimwear, and I have to say it was a game changer for me. In the past I would buy three new suits at the beginning of the season, only to have them fall apart by the end.  Sure, I would like my suits, but I would be hard pressed to say I loved them.  I would often wait for a sale, pick up what was left over, and call it a day.  Once I discovered MIKOH, all that changed for me.  Yes, their swimwear is slightly on the pricy side, although their adorable coverups I would argue are less than most, but let me tell you these are pieces that last.  This last March I wore the same three suits I bought the year before, with the addition of two new ones, and they still were in the same perfect condition that they were the day I bought them.  Considering the fact that I wore them 14 hours a day, for 10 weeks in Costa Rica (which is not gentle on suits) I'd say that's a pretty big deal.  Now I wait until they go on sale on shopbop, or when I see a sample sale on their Instagram, but the reality is I can't even say I'm in the market for a suit anymore since these ones don't seem to die.

I will say, these are some skimpy suits, and certainly not for everyone.  Do I wear these to Gray's swim class? Absolutely not.  Will I let my booty hang out a little in Central America where even I thong is considered "full coverage?" You bet.  If there wasn't an incentive for all the squats I do in the week, really what would be the point? ;) That being said, aside from my barely there favorite suits, I actually am a huge fan of the one piece. I've mentioned it here before, but I just think a good one piece is so much more chic than a bikini, and I love how it looks with a simple sarong, or chambray shirt styled over it. Even with cutoffs, a one piece can help a you look so more pulled together when bopping around for sandwiches or ice cream after a long beach day.  So, yes, I'll admit this post is a little one piece heavy, but I really tried my hardest to include something for everyone. 

Below you will find my favorite picks from where I tend to find the best suits.  Many of these are on sale with discount codes right now, so make sure to double check that if you find one you love!