these made me smile.  |  via simply grove

love these acrylic eraser boards. much more special than the standard ones out there, and perfect for jotting down a quick to do list.

the weather has been so lovely! warm and breezy. perfect for lounging in one of these.

i’ve been quite smitten with all shades of purple lately. so, i can’t wait to get my hands on these pansy postage stamps. so pretty.

1 - i love all the sweet details of this one year old’s party. especially the cake.

2 - wouldn’t the color palette look lovely in a nursery?

photos by kallie brynn buckmaster via the sweetest occasion via party perfect

remember this post about beautiful baker’s twine? well, divine twine is adding a few more colors to their gorgeous lineup. oyster, cotton candy + cherry. and i can’t wait!  |  via whisker graphics

polka dots + balloons? yes, please! i’m filing these away for future use.  |  via party perfect

how adorable is this milk + cookies party thrown for a sweet one year old? very. i love all of the details.

for more pics + all the how-tos, click here.  |  via tangled & true

love these sailor’s knot dog collars. i’m so tempted to get one for our little yorkie pooch cosmo. very fitting for our weekend trips to the lake house where we spend time sailing and relaxing out on the water.

earlier today i tweeted about being 8 months pregnant and finding some great non-maternity clothes at j.crew and old navy that fit really well. better than maternity clothes actually. i got quite a few responses and questions wondering if j.crew made maternity clothes [i don't think they do, but wouldn't that be great?!] and what i was able to find specifically. so, i wanted to share with you the goodies i went home with.

first, i must say that i didn’t go to the regular j.crew store since i live really close to a j.crew outlet. so, what i pulled from their site is as close to what i bought as i could find. however, earlier in my pregnancy, i did go to the regular j.crew store and scooped up a few things including these cords. and they still fit. i wore them today with my tummy tube.

but, back to my most recent finds. the v-neck gray shirt is similar to this. the pink shirt i bought has a higher scooped neck and has less rosettes, but it’s similar to this shirt from j.crew.

the black skirt is this one from old navy. i also bought it in white and brown since it’s so comfortable. much more so than restrictive maternity jeans. my tummy can breathe! the cardigan is also from old navy and can be found here.

it was actually on a whim that i found out j.crew fits my baby bump. i realized that most maternity clothes are super long and a bit more loose in order to accommodate an expanding belly. after many frustrating trips to maternity stores only to figure out most maternity clothes fit me like tents, i thought about j.crew. i love their clothes. however, i’m really short and prior to pregnancy, i always had problems fitting into them mainly because their clothes are too long and loose for my short torso. so i thought hum, maybe, just maybe j.crew would work for me now. and they do.

i realized regular old navy may work because i tried on a non-maternity short tiered skirt that i already owned. it has a stretchy waist so it fits. i just wear it below my belly. i went online to see if they happened to carry something similar this year and sure enough they do! and they are on sale! so, i went to the store to check them out. and like the j.crew shirts, the old navy cardigan fits because it’s also long. instead of tying the belt around my belly, i just tie it behind my back. this gives me a nicely defined waist. bonus!

so, there you go. my little guide to non-maternity maternity clothes. happy shopping!

i’m loving the orla kiely stationery on gilt today! i’m trying desperately hard to talk myself out of the oatmeal address book. especially since i just bought the lovely design file box. certainly i don’t need two… or do i :]

30 cute + clever cakes and step-by-step guides on how to create them.  |  via kirtsy