What I Heart Today: Good Design - Giraffe Print

Good design ain't hard to find! Who doesn't love them some giraffe print? Wouldn't this make a great rug. Where does this week's good design come from?

This guy at the Portland zoo! I was just so taken back by the gorgeous pattern this cute little giraffe had. It made me want some in my home, not the real kind of course.

What I Heart Today: Woodmark Review

I had a great weekend! How about you? Mine started with an amazing, anxiety provoking Friday night. It was anxiety provoking because it was my first night away from my one and a half year old daughter. It was amazing because I spent time with my mom and sister to celebrate Mother's Day.

The photo above was the view from our room at the Woodmark Hotel on Carillon point in Kirkland, Washington. My mom, sister and I wanted a special night away so I chose the Woodmark which I've never stayed at before but had heard good things about.  The hotel staff was nice, my mom and sister checked in before me and they were given champagne upon check-in. I checked in separately but was not offered champagne (must be because I don't look old enough to drink! just kidding).

We also decided to get hot stone massages at the spa located within the Woodmark called Northwest Face Spa. I'm sorry to say the spa was a big disappointment. We started out by checking in and being shown to the tiny locker room for changing into our spa robes and slippers. We were then told to wait in the "relaxation room" where our masseurs would meet us for our massages. My mother, sister and I waited in the relaxation room and were then joined by two male spa patrons! I was shocked that they mixed men and women. And that makes five people in a relaxation room that had four chairs, not very relaxing to have some guy in a robe standing over you. Our masseurs came to greet us and take us back to the tiny treatment rooms. There was a second door in my treatment room that was obviously a door to the treatment room next door that had one of the men from the "relaxation room" in it and he decided to chat the entire time of his and my massages (so annoying!). The massage itself was good, she really worked on some problem spots I had in my neck. My mom, sister and I compared notes on our hot stone massages later and they were all different which is a little bizarre. One of the best parts about the spa is that it's connected to the hotel so we didn't even change out of our robes, we just headed back to the room and ordered room service.

All in all it was a great night, surrounded by family and that view you really can't complain. Or maybe I can because I have to say the Northwest Face Spa at the Woodmark has to be a "don't reccomend" from me.

More tomorrow about the rest of my weekend which was a trip to Portland, Oregon! Happy Tuesday!

What I Heart Today: Good Design - Trina Turk

Thanks for visiting the second week of "Good Design Ain't Hard to Find." And boy that's the truth today because it's on my arm! Checkout my Mother's Day present :) I absolutely love the preppy, reserved look on the outside with the off-white canvas and minimal avocado accent, and then bam! look inside. I heart me some Trina Turk!

What I Heart Today: Fresh Tootsies!

Rain, rain go away, and for god's sake quit coming back! For my local reader's in the Seattle area, I mean can I get an amen? This weather just sucks! What happened to Spring, shouldn't we have it by now? Besides, I got a pedicure for Mother's Day and I want to show it off!

What I Heart Today: Mother's Day

(craftelf.com via pinterest)

Tears are streaming down my face as I start this post. It's a special mother's day for me. It's my second official mother's day but the first one I'm celebrating. Ask me what I did last year? Couldn't tell you, I think I was hiding somewhere begging people to pretend this day didn't exist.

When my daughter was three weeks old, two Januarys ago, I was diagnosed with severe post partum depression. I did not want to be where I was. I didn't want to be a mom. I didn't want to be in my house. I just wanted out. The first two weeks of her life were so much fun, I was so proud and I remember them like it was yesterday. The next six months are a total blur, the only memories I have are from photos and video. But luckily I got help. My family and friends were superstars in what seemed to be a huge galaxy. My poor husband, he didn't know what to do and was just trying to keep everything together at home. He stood by me. If my friends and family were superstars my mom was my north star. When things got so bad and I didn't know where to turn, my mom dropped everything to come take care of me and my little baby. She vowed to stay with me until I was back to my normal self, and she did.

This year is a different kind of mother's day. I am having a great day! My husband is allowing me a mother's day palooza as I'm calling it, and it runs into next weekend. I love being a mom, and more then ever I love what my mom is to me.

Happy mother's day!

What I Heart Today: Good Design Ain't Hard to Find

Welcome to my new Friday series called "Good Design Ain't Hard to Find." Look all around you, good design is everywhere to be found! I love it when you find some mundane item that incorporates good design, turns the mundane into the happy. Today's feature is the perfect example.

Check out the special edition Lilly Pulitzer animal crackers boxes! Found at Target. Wouldn't these make great favors for a little girl's party? Mais oui!

What I Heart Today: Cocoa & Hearts

Cocoa and Hearts is definitely my new obsession. I'm simply dying over the new online art store opened by one of my favorite designers, Jen Ramos of Made by Girl.  If you're not yet familiar with her blog it's a fantastic design read, one of my top 5 favorite design blogs (top 5 list to be revealed in a future post). She also has a great Made by Girl shop with great prints and stationery. I'm just trying to decide where to put this:

 

Such great stores, what will you heart today?

What I Heart Today: Piperlime

Shoes, shoes, shoes! A woman can never have enough shoes. A man on the other hand...

My husband is a less is more kind of guy. What that means is when he's done with a pair of shoes (ie he wore them golfing twice in the rain and everytime he puts them on his feet get wet) it's a mad scramble for another pair of shoes.

I'd like to let you in on a little secret, ok maybe it's not so secret anymore, called Piperlime. Piperlime is a Gap company, it started out as just shoes but has since added everything you could ever want like clothes and handbags. Here's the best part, they offer free shipping and free returns. So instead of dragging my husband to the mall (because he won't let me pick them out without him) I ordered him 6 pairs of shoes from Piperlime and had him try them all on at home. Jackpot! Unfortunately he only liked 1 of the 6 pairs, I would have liked to have one in reserve, but at least the emergency is over.

What I Heart Today: Thrift Store Finds

If only Gracie needed a bed. Check out this find from our local Goodwill, even better, check out the price!