game night

games are always fun to play with a group, aren't they? some of our favorites are taboo, mad gab and good old scattergories, but this one looks like fun of a different kind...perfect for a film buff who's hosting you for the weekend ... reminds me of playing scene it with mitchell and our friends and mitchell knew every answer before the question was even completed and the rest of us sat there drooling and feeling dumb. okay, so maybe this game wouldn't be good in MY house, but it would probably be great in someone else's and would make an awfully fun addition to a beach weekend, don't you think? 

i say wrap this up and give it with a tin of gourmet popcorn, a theater popcorn popper, or a big popcorn bowl like this one.

for a different snacky idea, how great is this martha thought of packing peanuts...literally! what a fun way to give ... really anything, especially something food or game themed. do it this weekend and let the games begin!

fun for the fourth

 are you entertaining this holiday weekend? or maybe just looking for a fun idea for you and your nearest and dearest while lounging outside...i'm obsessed with the notion of sangria pops...how fun! check out this website for a recipe for sangria pops and also bailey's pudding pops and mango lassi pops. 

i think using these examples, you could actually figure out how to make any number of cocktails in pop form. just remember what you're licking and don't get in the car! 

and can you believe this cake? unbelievable! glory from glorious treats does an incredible tutorial here that actually makes me think i could do this. i don't actually think i could do it, but you get the idea...

i'm also loving the idea of a lobster or clam-bake themed dinner. there's something so comforting about the idea of a down home summer party like that...everything can blend together in various states of match and mismatch and it all just signals a good time. i love martha's instructions for lobster place cards and these sweet boat bowls from wisteria would be perfect for the trappings of a fabulous summer meal.

ps...i also love one of these bowls on a key table for change or in a bathroom for summery soaps.

i'm not sure what could be more fun thank eating your delectables off these ikat melamine plates, also from wisteria, and i love the way they'd unexpectedly mix with the nautical theme, especially for a coastal evening. in either colorway, the look could be roughed up with these seagrass tumblers, perfect for wicking away condensation...the cardinal sin of an otherwise good time.

for drink ideas, how about a cucumber and lime gin fizz...how fun and summery does that sound? i gag at the thought of gin and even i think it sounds good. 

then again, i like any drink that involves the word fizz...do you remember my peach fizz from a couple summers ago? here are some other fun drink ideas. and more still, with a roundup of great glasses to boot.

 and for a hearty summer meal (or even a light one), no paper napkins will do. i love cloth ones and i usually find the cheaper the better. my personal favorite is the tekla dish towel from ikea that can be washed and washed and washed again, but i also love these options from crate and barrel and anthropologie.

and if you don't feel like bothering with dishes or glasses at all, the best option is a rustic, delicious display like this lovely image from frolic today and some bubbly in a can.

perfect.

measure up

wouldn't these be fun to have in your bag? i love when something so utilitarian takes the effort to be a little glam too. most of all, it makes me smile that there are enough people in the world (like me) that would get a thrill from owning a gold faux-leather measuring tape. so many, it seems, that they're sold out! but pier 1 has these crystal and animal print ones to fill in.

private lives: breakfast

do you ever think how we know so much about each other now because of things like facebook and twitter and all the real-time communication? it's funny - we're privy to little details and glimpses into one anothers' lives that were previously private and yet, some things that aren't private at all really, we don't know because we're just not together every second of the day. for instance, do you know what your friends eat for breakfast? i don't know what anyone in my life eats for breakfast other than my husband (and that's nothing, which it really shouldn't be since we know breakfast is important, but anyway...)

i was inspired by the first two images on this post, hali bey's photography on concrete magnolia, and they got me thinking about the tastes that start our days. then i easily found more such images on martha's site (i like hali's way better). so i'll go first...these days, i eat half of a plain fage 2% greek yogurt with a heaping tablespoon of sugar free red raspberry preserves mixed in. and of course coffee.

what do you eat for breakfast? i'd love to know.

all images

on weddings: links of love

i'm so thrilled to be part of a link exchange with a few of the best bridal blogs out there, and i'm excited to share some of their highlights from last week.

well you know my feelings about yellow, and here the wedding chicks bring us images of the loveliest yellow-tinged wedding. i especially love the way they blend brown and other neutrals so it doesn't scream yellow, but more just says it sweetly and for all to hear.

and look at this beautiful newport wedding, deep red roses against charcoal dresses included.

i don't even know what detail to mention first in this amazingly gorgeous wedding featured on every last detail. it's so perfectly undone - know what i mean? i love the way the bride is only in white, while everything else is so vibrant and mixed. it really makes her stand out as the bride in such a sweet way. and check out all the wonderful signage!

bridefinds offers some real-girl alternatives to natalie portman's gorg halo style engagement ring...including one very real girl version for $89!

AND in other amazingly cheap aisle style, check out broke ass bride's awesome feature "can't get over it/afford it," especially this one where she finds wedding dresses to suit one reader's style, all for under $200. you read that right.

top image, all images from linked sites

shuffle this

one week from today, i'll be announcing the winner of honey living's first giveaway, a silver 2gb ipod shuffle.

all you have to do is be a honey living follower to be entered. if you already are one, you're good. if you're not, click the "follow" button on the lower right side of the screen and become one. here's what the button looks like.

SO, next monday at 3 PM, i will choose a follower at random from the list (don't worry, it'll be all professional and ballot-like) and the shuffle will have an owner. an owner who is also a honey living follower.

easy enough, right?

some like it cold

i prefer iced coffee regardless of the weather. there, i said it.

yes, there are exceptions. sometimes i love a good hot cup, especially with the milk frothed. but i'm just more of an iced coffee kind of girl, and i'm okay with that. i'm okay with the strange looks i get from the coffee guy in the morning when it's snowing and i want it cold. i'm okay with the confusion i see on peoples' faces when i sip what is clearly iced coffee, thanks to the sound of the ice, from a hot coffee cup since i can't use straws since my surgery (too much air). clearly, i'm not the only one with this preference, since despite the crazy looks, the coffee guy always has iced coffee in the dead of winter - it can't just be for me.

it reminds me of the great glamour magazine feature "hey, it's okay!" so, it's okay that i like iced coffee even when the very lid i drink it from collects a quarter inch of cold, icy snow. and it's okay -- great, even -- that i just push the icy snow right into the cup.

do you have a somewhat weird thing you're just okay with?

image

mad gab

mad gab is the most fun ever. it's a game where you read the words printed on a card which, when sounded out, actually say something else. that was a terrible explanation - here's an example:

card says: canoe key pace he grit?

hopefully you eventually figure out that it says: can you keep a secret?

these cards are a totally uncomplicated way to play, and mitchell and i are, without fail, laughing hysterically within moments of whipping it out. it hits the funny bone the same way some of the ingenious me talk pretty one day does. it's mainly funny because you hear your playing partner trying desperately to figure out what the hell they're saying, and it's usually totally obvious to you what it is...so they sound like they're first learning english and putting the acCENT on the wrong syLLABle. take my word for it, it's hilarious.

you can even play it online if you feel like you're going to blow a gasket at your desk and need a mood lifter.

cranky mood? mad gab. bored? mad gab. trust me on this one.

bow wow

spotted at the farmers market this week while i gathered a beautiful bevvy of root vegetables and fresh herbs for thanksgiving centerpieces and decor, pictures of which i'll share next week.

i hope you had a wonderful day yesterday, filled with all the things you love, and most importantly surrounded by all the people you love who love you in return.

see you back here next week.

watch the gap

holiday shopping starts out an organized fantasy... it's idealized by our long and thoughtful lists, dogeared catalogs and big, thematic plans. in reality though, some of the most efficient holiday shopping is done on the go - on our way to or from work, a doctor's appointment or an oil change. this month, window shopping and killing time are crucial to our effectiveness. i'll certainly share the best things i've seen on my walk to work, and i hope you'll do the same!
from the gap, i die for the nylon puffer totes ($14.99 - $17.99) and the silver ones (by far the most moon-tastic, in my opinion) aren't available online anymore, so scamper in. these are perfect for wet, slushy days and to throw everything from extra socks, a rolled up hoodie and all your other essentials. i mean my essentials. i mean your gift recipient's essentials...you know what i mean.

i also obviously love the sequin totes ($44.50) though the silver seems to be only available in stores. clearly, silver's a big deal right now.


and the velvet totes ($39.50) are so cozy and luxe at the same time which is, in my opinion, a pretty perfect combination. warm and versatile in the gray, and piercing and on-trend in the blue, these are a total win.

these are all perfect as secret santa gifts, the best "stocking" around to be filled with other goodies, or a standalone gift for someone special. or of course for you - i mean me - i mean...

top image from martha stewart, all images from the gap

once and again

when i was in the hospital having my surgery, i got such beautiful flowers sent to me, (my phone's camera clearly doesn't do them justice) and they were a real moodlifter once i got home as well. i loved how almost all the arrangments had red berries in them, like florists everywhere were in silent agreement that it was full-fledged fall. i was also particularly excited about one arrangement in a stainless steel cylinder (great for future arrangements!)



of course after a couple days, several of the stems started to shrivel but i wasn't ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so the first day i felt up to it, i got rid of all the dead stems and after a couple bags of floral waste, i set out to create new arrangements for all over the house.

with the lighter colored blooms, i started out just putting the good stems in fresh water in a couple vases, but i actually liked the way they looked, so i ended up leaving them as is.



i so enjoyed them on my vanity, my desk and in the bathroom. then i made deeper colored arrangements for the key table and the living room, which we enjoyed in the evenings.



i was so flattered to receive them at first, and even more thrilled to be able to enjoy them for a full two weeks by repurposing them.