{ kiss me kate }

Kate Spade, oh how I love thee.
Your pieces are modern yet classic, with a playful touch of whimsy.
Your expert use of happy color combos makes me swoon.
The way you accesorize and style your ensembles is flawless .

And then there's your shoes!

They
are

all

GLORIOUS.

I'm particularly fond of these ribbon embellished, pink and orange T-strap sandals below. I thought I'd try my hand at creating a DIY version of these $200(!) beauties.

I started with this $9 pair from Bakers.

But they're already embellished, right? Yes, but they look cheap and ugly, and just altogether ick (in my opinion). I took off the gaudy rhinetones, gathered up some pretty spools of ribbon, put the munchkins down for a nap, and went to work. Boy, all that meticulous ribbon tying and snipping takes a while! My wonderful husband kept the little men entertained when it was time to break out the glue gun. Hot glue is not your toddler's friend, people. I stitched the ribbon ties into place for added security, and now my cheapo sandals look like this.

Not bad for eleven bucks total, eh? Hope you have a great week!

*images via Kate Spade

{ thursday thoughts }

*via etsy seller, dazeychic (LOVE her whole shop!)

{ wednesday wish list }

A few swell things I'm eyeing right now...

Coffee is important when you have two children under two-and-a-half. Very important. I've been thinking it's about time I upgrade my drip machine to this beautiful french press pot by Bodum. It's totally adorable, and I'm told it makes an amazing cup of coffee. May God bless caffeine.

I've been itchin' to get a pair of these lovely mirrored side tables for my bedroom for months now. Can you believe they're from Target? And they're only $90! Yay! I have no idea where I'd wear these happy Seychelles heels, but they sure are fun!

*images via surlatable, target, endless

{ celebrating cyndi }

My mother-in-law, Cyndi, adored Independence Day like no one I've ever known. It was her absolute favorite holiday. I saw her decked out in red, white and blue on more occasions than I can remember. We shared a love of crafting, and she was always so enthusiastic when showing me her latest hand-crafted, patriotic creations. Her excitement about July 4th was positively infectious! Oh, how she is missed. She's been gone nearly four years now, and every Independence Day since her death has seemed a lot less sparkler-worthy. This year, however, I intend to honor her properly by celebrating right! I hope she will approve.

I'm going to make some memories with these guys and this silly guy too,

and spend some time cuddling with her.

We'll check out one of these.

Oooh, maybe we'll make this

or one of these. Yum.

Oh, I certainly wouldn't mind sipping some of this! After dark we'll watch some of these. I'm looking forward to many moments of giggly, summer fun this weekend. And, just like always, every time I see one of these,
I'll think of Cyndi, and smile. :)

{ thursday thoughts }

*via weheartit, tumblr, KeepCalmGallery

{ wednesday wish list }

A few swell things I'm eyeing right now...

LOVE these way cool, silver state necklaces. If I had enough pennies, I get one for each state I've lived in. That means you, Colorado, Maryland and Ohio :)

*necklaces from elsewares
Really digging these retro, geeky designs for my little men.

*tee and onesie from happyfamily @ etsy

Hey, IKEA Maskros pendant! You've been all over the design blogosphere for over a year now, and I'm still smitten with you. Pretty please, come and live at my house. I've got a lovely spot picked out just for you. I like so many things about you.

I like the way you cast those dancing, dandelion-esque shadows on the ceiling. I like this close-up view of your loveliness too.

And at just $89.99, I might like your price tag most of all.

*photos via ikeagoddess, timothyhartleysmith