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Friday Favorites...and a Giveaway! :)

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When I think of favorite things I think of feeling good. So I guess the synonym would be 'feel good things.' Fashion and personal beauty make me feel good...delicious sweets, decorating, vintage things, getting creative...Maybe these things aren't mandatory for living but they're necessary for living well. And being that life can get a bit busy...these things can often take a back seat to simply getting through the day. That's what is so great about blogs, pinterest, flickr, etc... They're all home bases for remembering the feel good things. 

So without further ado, my Friday Favorites:

Starting with this above...
Katie's Pencil Box dress...the color and those polka dots make me melt.


For a while me and Aaron were addicted to scones, and each morning we'd get in the car to find the best in the area. One of our fave kinds to get were Orange Scones!


Life can get topsy turvy and all that. One thing that I think is a bit grounding is to do your nails in a fab way. It's a great accessory and when you look down at your busy hands it's a little reminder of simpler things. I love this Gold Leaf manicure tutorial.



Cottage style furniture...all peely paint and faded color. A well lived in piece of painted furniture warms my soul. I love things with history. Things that are used and used a lot. This piece by Rachel Ashwell  is amazing.


I Love Where Women Create. I love all Jo Packham publications. (It was such an honor meeting her in NYC at the Where Women Cook magazine launch, and getting to spend time with her again when we taught at The Creative Connection.) Getting creative is a must for me, and I hope it is for lots of gals...even those who don't do it for a living. And seriously, one of the biggest hurdles in freeing your creativity is first getting organized. There are so many fantastic and outside of the box examples of esthetically pleasing methods for organizing your creative workspace in this book.

Ok, I hope my favorites made you feel good too! Happy Weekend!
xo Jenny





Ps..... I'm co-hosting a FUN giveaway over at Wonder Forest! Pop over and enter to win an 8x10 print of your choice and some super cute note cards from Row House 14! 

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All Aboard

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I love boats and I love being out on the water so tell me, how did I end up with a husband who gets seasick?! He's not a huge fan of our Wednesday night twilight Yacht racing but he goes along to keep me happy (and to shut me up)! As time goes on he's getting better and better at faring rough seas and bumpy waves and I think he almost even enjoys himself on a calm summer's evening with a gentle breeze blowing. I love the idea of one day sailing or motoring around the Whitsunday Islands in sunny Queensland. There's something very romantic about throwing down anchor in a secluded sandy cove on a deserted tropical island. I have visions of cooking up freshly caught fish and dining out under the stars whilst the boat bobs gently up and down on the waves.

I am loving this cute and cosy cabin interior.

Melissah xox

Images via Coastal Living

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest

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10 Things Casey Taught Me

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I’ve been lucky to have shared my life with many pets over the years. Looking back, I know they were all very generous with their gifts and they taught me many things. Like a lot of people, though, I felt especially blessed and connected by one dog in particular. For me, that was my beloved Bichon Frise Casey Jane who I had to say good-bye to in December of 2011. The thought of that still gives me pain. 

Over the years, though, there was much, much more joy in my life from Casey than any other thing. That is, she brought joy and love to me in abundance but, looking back, she brought more, as well. Can I quantify those things? No, of course not. But if I think about her gifts I can boil it down, at least a little bit.

Here, then, are the 10 Things Casey Taught Me: the things I have to hold on to every single day. The gifts she shared that, ultimately, changed my life. And now I’ll share those gifts with you.

The Ten Things Casey Taught Me

1. Forget About Multitasking
Look at your dog when she’s got a job to do. She’s doing it whole-heartedly, isn’t she? She’s in the moment and on the ball. There are studies that show that when you multitask your productivity goes down. I don’t think Casey actually knew that, but something in her bones did, just the same.

2. Walk Every Single Day
Even when you don’t feel like it. Walking continues to be the safest and easiest ways to burn calories and help you lose weight, fight depression, keep your bones strong, your heart going and your mind sharp.

3. Live in the Moment
Though I think, in a way, that this goes with multitasking, it’s a strong enough point to draw a line under. In a Harvard university study called “A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind,” psychologists concluded that people are happiest when doing things that keep the mind focused, such as sex or exercise. So live in the now!

4. Wag Your Tail
It’s true: I do not have a tail. Nor, probably, do you. But Casey taught me to try and be happy for the small things and to approach life gratefully. Back to the studies: it’s been shown that people who keep gratitude journals have better attitudes, exercise more and have fewer physical complaints.

5. Get More Than Your Eight Glasses
When dogs are thirsty and need replenishing, they go straight for the good stuff: water from the tap! When you’re playing -- and even just plain living -- it’s important to your health and your heart to stay hydrated. It helps keep you looking good, too.

6. Show Your Love
Dogs don’t ever play coy. When they love you, you know it. It turns out that showing your love is important for people, too and couples that let each other see their love are more connected and secure.

7. Don’t Forget to Groom
When we take care of ourselves and take the time to look good, we feel better. And Casey didn’t just make that up: there’s a strong link between personal hygiene and self-esteem. And everyone knows a shiny coat is a good indication of health.

8. Don’t Sit in the Sun
You wouldn’t think that dogs would know about UV rays and such but next time you’re out and stop for a break, watch your dog: they’re most likely going to head for the shade. And though sunscreen in the summer is a must, adding the protection of a big ’ol tree won’t hurt, either.

9. Give in to the Routine
Dogs are creatures of habit. Most of us? Not so much. Yet people tend to thrive more when they get really in tune with their body clock. Everything you do in this regard can help you achieve more -- and more restful -- sleep.

10. Learn to Read Body Language
Dogs are experts at non-verbal communication. A stretch, a sniff or a snuggle all reveal deeply different things. It’s not that we humans don’t have body language -- we’re stretching and scratching and making eye contact all the time. It’s just that most of us aren’t terribly good at reading it and volumes of potentially valuable communication goes to waste.

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