Today, I'm sharing a few treats and trinkets I've recently acquired that have earned 5 gold stars in my book! 

Feast & Dwell candle // I picked this up at my sweet friend Jen's amazing newly opened shop, Moulton. Curated to perfection with lots of artisan goods, I couldn't resist taking home the sandalwood and birch candle.

Dr. Jart Water Drop Moisturizer // This lightweight moisturizer arrived in my Sephora Play! box, and I love how it melts into my dry skin without an overly dewy finish. Nobody's got time to run errands looking like a greaseball! 

Herbivore Jasmine Body Oil // I don't have much time to go beyond the basics when it comes to personal care these days (my ratchet hair and ragged nails can attest to that), but this natural body oil I picked up at Cove makes me feel like a million bucks. The smell is out of this world yummy, which offsets the 'eau de spit up' that I am usually wearing.

The Champagne Gypsy Feather Necklace // The perfect necklace that dresses up my basics for everyday, and is a staple in my layering game. Bonus points that Astra, the maker of these pretty baubles, is one of the kindest souls I've ever had the pleasure of (virtually) knowing.

Lemon Glaze Ceramics Texas Dish // Handmade in Texas (obviously), this dainty dish holds my rings and earrings and other trinkets when I call it a night....at like 8pm. I'm such a granny, which is exactly who this dish reminds me of with its pretty pressed lace pattern. 

This weekend, John and I jump started the project to fluff the nest for our little chicklet which kicked off with moving the main stuff from my former office into the dining room and assembling the crib. The fact that we are actually making a physical space for our first born to settle into this fall made our impending parenthood feel super duper real. The whole process had me welling up while simultaneously falling more and more in love with my amazing husband as I watched him screw together this tiny little bed frame for our tiny little girl. I picked a real good one, and I am so excited to watch him step into the role of dad. Gosh, it still feels so weird saying that. He and I are going to be some incredible little girl's mom and dad. Mind blowing stuff right there.

Anyways, Miles was acting like a stage five clinger during set-up, worming his way onto my lap and nudging me when I wasn't paying enough attention to him. I hope he and baby girl become the best of friends, and that there isn't jealousy or territorial issues there. Fingers crossed Doggy Dan will help us with that particular stage! We're a few weeks in and have already noticed a big change, but lots more progress to go before baby arrives.

So, there's still a rocker to be found, decor and accessories to give it a cozy feel, lighting to be purchased and installed, closets to be cleaned out, picture frames taken off the wall (or can I leave those up? I'm afraid of them falling on her!), and who knows what else I'm forgetting. But for now, even in its incompleteness, it's my new favorite space to sit and dream and just take it all in.

Crib: Babyletto // Mattress: Babyletto Pure Core // Rug: HomeGoods (similar) // Prints: Thrifted, designed by me, or note cards // Frames: Ikea

John and I picked up this sad, stinky, shabby but very sexy mid-century lounge chair the very same day we adopted our little lovebug (who happens to be casually lounging on the sheepskin rug....Miles loves a good photobomb). After sneezing our way home on the hour long drive with a very musty chair in the backseat and a dirty little dog on my lap, we set out to clean up both of the new additions to our home.

Miles went to the groomer, and I headed to Bolt Fabrics. A locally-owned little gem of a fabric store on S. Lamar, it was practically impossible to pick just one fabric to choose since there were so many beautiful and affordable upholstery options. Good thing the Bolt team and my friend Sara was there to chime in! The team at Bolt were a dream to work with - they gave me lots of advice about pattern, scale, and helped reign in my design ADD. We ended up going with this 'modern with a touch of mod' tribal zig zag pattern, which was so graciously gifted for this project.

After securing the perfect fabric, I went to work ripping off the crusty old upholstery, moldy foam, and removing the 245435515484631574584684654864684 nails that the previous 3 upholstery jobs had punched into the wood frame. A few days and a prayer that I was up to date on my tetanus shots later, I had cut, stapled and upholstered a chair that John and I were absolutely smitten with.

Thank you so much, Bolt Fabrics and Sara! Austinistas, be sure to check Bolt's gorgeous selection of fabrics out for any upcoming interior projects and follow along on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see the latest and greatest. Or just pop in and say hi...it's such a fun little shop with lots of inspiring colors, patterns and prints!

J.Crew Printed Silk Snood // I can't wait to get a little more bundled up...I'm counting the days until the Texas temps dip below 90! Scarves are one of my most fave fall accessories, and the little fringe poms on this round-about style is too cute. 

TooFaced Bulletproof Brow // Since we aren't all blessed with Cara Delevingne's epic brows, this budge-proof brow pomade looks like a pretty rad way to get some power brows. 

Frends with Benefits 'Layla' Headphones Oil Slick // You know when you are at the gym pounding the pavement on the treadmill, and those silly little earbuds just won't. stay. put. no matter how hard and deep you shove them into your ears? Yeah...I've had just about enough of that. These seem like a super cute solution to blast my tuneskis on. 

Hydrangea Hello Boxed Card Set // The perfect little notes to say hello to pals near and far. 

BTWN Wind + Water Crossover Bag  // A rad cross body bag in one of Austin's newest boutiques, this carry-all is the epitome of sophisticated boho with natural indigo tie dye on ultra-soft goat leather. When open, the bag fits an iPad. Shop it at Hacienda on 204 Colorado St. 

Cynthia Vincent Eloise Flats //  Cute little flats with a design to go with grey skinnies and a crisp white shirt for fall.  

Moulton // My talented friend Jen is launching 40 (!!!) new jewelry styles on September 15. If you want to get in on a discount code and first peek at new jewelry, sign up for her newsletter by Sunday night. Homegirl makes the best minimal jewelry - so great for piling on. Mo' Moulton, mo' better!

Kinda smitten with this fantastic collection that Jamie Rosenthal, owner of LA shop Lost & Found, curated for Anthropologie. Those stunning indigo dyed coverlets and that cute bowl full of cherries are my favorites from the line!

The 30 piece collection - which includes macramé hanging planters and wheel-thrown ceramics - is available online, but us lucky Austinites can hoard it in person because the Lamar location is one of  the five selected national stores that will carry the full collection (the others are NYC, SF, Miami, and Tigard OR). ATX for the win!

Kyle Schuneman for Apt 2B // Following the smash success of his first upholstery line, this small-living-big-style expert has a new summer upholstery line that just made its fancy debut on Apt2B. I am particularly smitten with that cheery robin's egg blue sofa...though that rich navy will always be calling my name. Uh oh....dare I say it's time to redecorate?

Mara Hoffman 'Cosmic Fountain' Lace-Up One-Piece Swimsuit // I've been intrigued by one-pieces. This one is rad. I officially dub Mara the queen of cool prints. I have a weird obsession with every piece of clothing and swimwear she creates.

Warby Parker // I've been rocking the Huxley glasses for 4 years now, and I just got the ol' eyes checked out and have a couple new styles on order to try out because I have absolutely trashed my poor lenses. I can't wait for the home try on box to arrive. I'm curious if I'll stick with my trusty Huxleys or go with something different, plus it's time I got some rx sunnies because squinting is so last season. We shall see! 

Kérastase Resistance Ciment Thermique //  I effed my long hair up so badly with curling irons and blow dryers that a good ol' fashioned chop was the only remedy. This stuff came with stellar reviews from my co-workers, and let me tell you....I definitely notice a difference when I blow dry with and without it. It's sleeker, softer and protected from the heat. It is legit and worth every penny. Adios, damaged hair.

Reverse Through The Meadow Kimono // Kaftans, kimonos, or whatever else that is flowy, begins with a K, and is perfect for casual days at work and hot summer afternoons at the pool....I'll take one in each color, thankyouverymuch!

J.Crew malta mirror metallic sandals // Simple, classic and just modern enough with a gilded finish. These would be super cute with everything from jean shorts and a tee to a little sundress. Or a kimono. Obvi. 

Austin Maker Pop-Up // Three super talented and local ladies will be debuting their latest collections at West Elm this weekend. As you all very well know, I love me some crafty goodness from jewelry designer Christine Fail, the super cool illustrations from Leah Duncan, and leather trinkets from Natalie Davis of Canoe. Be there or be square on June 14th, 12-4 pm at West Elm Austin, 1011 W 5th St.

April's showers had me thinking purely of flowers, which meant I hightailed it to HomeGoods to pick up several pots for our deck and began planting basil, rosemary, mint (anyone want a watermelon mojito?!), dill, parsley, lavender, red lantana, pink and white petunias, and a bunch of other flowers with names I'll never know.

A couple months ago, I went on another green bender. I bought a handful of house plants, and peppered them around the living room and kitchen. It wasn't long after until the leaves started to shrivel because yours truly used pots that didn't have a drain hole (d'oh!!!) and we experienced a Biblical plague of flies that infested the soil and, consequently, our house. It was then that my sweet and patient husband banned me from bringing in live plants from the house.

Since the great bug fiasco, I've mostly kept to my promise to keep the greenery in the casa artificial. However, our surviving snake plant was looking super lonely so I decided to sneak some cacti friends into the house to keep it company. I mean, it's pretty dang tough to kill a cactus, they are watered so infrequently that bugs are few and far between, and they are just so stinkin' adorable in their little DIY pots. Wouldn't these make a cute little housewarming gift set?

Here's how to make your own painted terracotta pots:

1. Pick up a variety of terracotta pots and spray paint them with a primer. Let thoroughly dry.
2. Spray on 1 - 2 layers of your base coat of color. Let thoroughly dry.
3. If you want to add designs like I did, use painters tape to form the design and tape off the rest of the space you don't want painted. Add your contrasting color, and let thoroughly dry. Note: the blue painter's tape is total crap, don't ever buy that junk....green Frog Tape is where it's at.
4. Spray on a layer of protective clear coat to make sure it won't chip off when you go to plant and water your plants.
5. Plant your succulents and cacti, and set them on tables or bookshelves. 

Tip: For doing the color block pots, you can pretty much only get a straight line going across the wider portion of the pot, so you'll have to apply the contrasting color to the top portion only. Just something to keep in mind when painting your base and contrast colors.

Cacti Party Print // So adorable. It's a cacti party, and all of the cutest and most colorful ones are invited.  

Heather Benjamin White Feather Ring // I love this line of earthy, bohemian jewelry. They are unfussy, yet super elegant. Considering the pieces I  r e a l l y  like are in the $500+ range, this feathered ring is a pretty piece that is actually in the budget. 

Nyx Cosmetics Butter Lipstick in Lollies // Ever since Olivia Wilde hit the red carpet at the Oscars looking like a modern Brigitte Bardot, I have been on the hunt for a light coral lipstick. I found the ones that her makeup artist used, and they were totally yuck in person. So, the hunt continued until I found this moisturizing option that I absolutely LOVE right now.

Metallic Leather Hexagon Coasters // These are freakin' sweet. Pop a cold mint julep on one of these, and you are golden. Or copper. Or silver.

Instead of the usual sleeping in from yet another exhausting week, I woke up with pep (and poodle hair!), quickly got ready, and zoomed on over to meet Celine at Elizabeth Street Cafe for breakfast on the patio. For those of you not yet acquainted with Celine or her blog, she is a Craigslist ninja, momma to an adorable fur baby named Archie, can whip up a mean donut cocktail on a whim, schools me on essential vocabulary terms like fauxdenza, and always knows about all the coolest events around town.

As we waited for her perfectly flaky croissant with jam and my scrambled egg and sausage banh mi to arrive, we chatted about our fave TV shows, flea markets, and the pregnancy epidemic that is taking over our Facebook feeds. Afterwards, we headed over to Candice and Trilby's macrame workshop at Mockingbird Domestics, where we each wove our own wall hanging. It was actually really therapeutic, knotting the white and indigo strings together into a loose diamond and chainlink pattern. Our stained indigo fingers, which we waved around spirit finger style, were like a badge of honor. We can weave, y'all!! I've got it hanging in our entryway now, and I'm already itching to make another one! 

After the workshop, I picked John up and headed to my parents house where we lounged by the pool, reminisced about the good ol' days while we went through a stack of childhood photos, feasted on caprese salad and salmon, and debated over which movie to watch while I commandeered the remote and clicked from movie to movie like a maniac. We ended up watching Rush (which was the initial plan...it just took an hour to hit play), which we all agreed was a total "saddle up" - code for an exciting two thumb's up film flick in our family.

I have lots to be grateful about - for that perfect, relaxing and sunny Saturday, filled with quality time with family, laughs with friends, and an epic crafternoon session with a group of inspiring creative ladies. Gosh, living in Austin is just the best.

The gallery wall is now complete in our dining room (hooray!), and we added some sweet party vibes to the room with a little disco ball bling hanging from the chandelier.

I loathe that hideous Home Depot chandelier with a burning passion, and have been looking for ages for a budget-friendly replacement. The house is pretty traditional, so I think a fixture that leans a bit more industrial or modern would look great in there. What do you all think of this, this, this or this??? Any winners in the bunch?

{photo by me}