LIFESTYLE Just some tidbits on the non-house related stuff we got goin' on!
Deal of the Day Shopping for Moms and Kids!
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July 14th, 2011 Don’t you just LOVE IT when berries are in season, and your grocery store is practically giving them to you? Our local store, Stop and Shop, has been having a Buy 1 get 1 Free sale on blueberries lately, and I have to restrain myself from buying 20 every time I pop in for some milk. I heart berries.
Well if you like berries, you MUST get a berry bowl. It helps keep your berries all happy and ripe, and well… it looks super pretty on your counter! My mom bought me this one, which I LOVE!
(FYI: Make sure you get one with a small plate to go underneath it, or use a small dish you already have.)
Check out some other berry bowl beauties…
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Yes, that’s a porcelin container! How clever!
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I saw these colanders at West Elm the other day, and immedietly wanted a strawberry. The small one is a great double duty piece!
{And on that note… it’s snack time!}
July 12th, 2011 I am ELATED!
This past weekend my Best Woman Joanna along with my amazing girlfriends Ashleigh, Caryn, Nina, Nikki, Rachel, Jackie, Megan Natalie, and future sister in laws Cindy and Stephanie – threw me the most fun packed and truly special bachelorette party in Portland, Maine. I am still smiling from the weekend and will forever treasure the incredibly unique opportunity of getting to spend an entire weekend with so many of the woman I love most in the world!
So as a small token of my appreciation, I put together a little DIY thank you bag for each of the girls there… and since DIY is the name of the game here on House Full of Pretty, I thought I’d share!
This is a super easy and fun little gift – and if you’ve ever done something similar, or have other bachelorette gift ideas, please share!!
So I started with some leftover yellow and gray cardstock that I previously printed to use for our wedding (more to come!!) and used a basic thank you stamp. These were essentially scraps from my original project… hello recycling! The stamp was super cheap from The Paper Source.
Then I taped them onto brown paper gift bags that I got in a 13 pack from Michael’s. The gold ties were cut from leftover ribbon that came from a gift long ago…
Because I loooove anything paper, I ordered personalized stationary from a fantastic Etsy shop called Post Girl Boutique. Each set had a different color for the Chevron background and ribbon design. Check out her shop HERE!
Then I added some other goodies including gold fish, peppermint patties, mini Hershey’s chocolates, and a nip to add to the weekend festivities!
I presented each gift in chronological order of when our friendship began, and a little personalized story about how we met.
It was easy, and more than anything, sooo much fun to write. Nothin’ like a little blast from the past to get the weekend started and remind you how special these friendships are!
Thanks soo much again ladies! And I will forever associate canolis with the best weekend ever!
{What’s another cute DIY Bridesmaid or Bachelorette gift idea?}
July 7th, 2011 Thursday nights tend to be our order-in sushi night (accompanied by at least one hour of trashy DVR’d shows). Home stuff in a moment, but first, a plug.
Genki Ya!!!
For anyone who lives in the Boston area, this sushi place (located in Cambridge and Brookline) has an incredible delivery deal.
1. You can order and request delivery online!
2. If you pay cash you can get 2 rolls for $10, or 3 rolls for #13. Yes, you read that correctly.
3. With that small chunk of change, you also get miso soup and salad.
4. It’s all organic!!!!
HOLY SUSHI!
And what I like equally as much…
unless I’m super hungry in which sushi totally wins…
are adorable sushi bowls and plates for the kitchen!!!
Crate and Barrel
J. Mendicino
Botani Craft
Sumiko
Amazon
PRETTY & YUM.
So I’m headed out for the weekend to Portland, Maine for my Bachelorette Party! I am BEYOND excited!!! My amazing and hilarious friend Caryn is coming in tonight from DC, so they party has officially begun.
Hey Caryn, wanna order in sushi???
Have a fantastic weekend everyone, and catch you next week!
July 5th, 2011 So I totally go through “room phases” where I focus on one part of the house for a few weeks, adding decor or just rearranging things with stuff I already have (preference). Right now I’m on a bedroom kick!
A few posts back I talked about our new bed coverlet and my attempt to use a West Elm gift card to complete the look. Well, mission accomplished! I’m not a huge fan of purchasing a comforter/duvet’s matching pillow shams because when you have a bold pattern on the bed, sometimes the shams are overkill. So I found these gorgeous (and really soft) hand blocked pillow shams at West Elm that I thought went perfectly with the Crate and Barrel coverlet.
West Elm
Here’s a close up:
 
And well…. I think they all get along pretty well together!
Oh wait, what’s that new headboard you ask??
Wow, you’re so perceptive!
This is a good one. So I had been on a hunt for a headboard for a while now, and the other day, while running errands, I drove past a gorgeous almost new headboard on the side of the road! Yes, SIDE OF THE ROAD! Thank you dad for teaching me the thrill and shameless act of grabbing “road goods”.  So I pulled over, and after close inspection to make sure that it wasn’t a piece of junk, I decided it had to be mine.
Well let me tell you, this baby was HEAVY and awkward, and I owe the temporary strength I possessed for somehow getting it into the back of my car to the crazy adrenaline pumping through me. Part “I got a deal” and part “I hope no one I know drives by and sees me right now”!
Once I got home, Tony’s engineering brain went to work, and we decided that rather than screw it into our bedframe (since we might not keep it down the road), we would use industrial zip ties to keep it in place.
We got these at our local hardware store, and they worked perfectly! They are extremely sturdy and prevent the headboard from moving, and you can reuse them. Plus, with the bedside table up against the bed they are totally hidden.
God, I love a good deal.
So that’s it for the bedroom for a while… Now onto the next room. But I’m curious about you all…
{Have any “road treasure” finds to share?}
July 2nd, 2011 Eeeek! I’ve been having some major phone issues. I love my smartphone, but sometimes it’s a bit too smart, sending messages to the wrong people, or uploading blog posts before they are ready…. Oopsies!
For all of my lovely email subscribers (while I hate to play favorites, you guys are it!) I apologize if you received a half post this morning. It’s since been deleted, but might chill out in your inbox for a while.
Ok, enjoy the weekend everyone and stay tuned for some real posts next week!
xoxo
Jenny
July 1st, 2011 Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend, everyone!
Whether you’re at the beach, lounging at home, watching fireworks… or shopping for the perfect red, white and blue decor…
ENJOY IT!
See you next week!
June 30th, 2011 Thank you Citicard (and Tony and my recent flight purchases) for providing me with enough points to score home decor gift cards. This month, I’m heading to West Elm to pick up some goodies with my new found money. I popped in the other day for a little “pre shop”. Yes, I do that sometimes. Don’t judge I didn’t have the gift card yet, but I went in to check out the inventory. Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I have cash or a gift card burning a hole in my pocket. Anyone know what I mean? It’s like I need to spend this NOW and that often results in a not so smart purchase! This way, I could take my time and check out everything… and return as an educated shopper.
Here are a few hotties I snapped with my phone…
I love the base on this bad boy. Not sure if the shade will work through four season though…
I’m thinking about getting these to match our new summer bedspread. Got this beautiful ”coverlet” from Crate and Barrel (thanks Yoli, George and Henry!) and didn’t want to be too matchy matchy by getting the accompanying shams. What do you think?
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Can’t pass up the Ikat
This would totally match the utensil holder I got at Brimfield!!!
NO CLUE what I would do with this…. but I just love driftwood….
Stay tuned for my *actual* purchase!! And coming up… a little Miami style post, inspired by my trip to Miami Beach last weekend!
June 28th, 2011 In case you haven’t noticed the small references here and there…
I’m getting married in August!!! (Love you Tony!)
So of course my decor and DIY bug started itching as soon as we got engaged, because there are just so many decorative possibilities in a wedding… it’s kinda hard not to go nuts! I’m trying to incorporate as much DIY and personal touches as possible in the special day. But since I don’t wanna spoil anything, you’ll have to sit tight to see those babies.
Well our “wedding colors” (a term I use loosely as I’m not quite sure how much it dictates the day) are also fantastic in the home! Don’t believe me, eh????
Introducing… Yellow and Gray!!
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June 23rd, 2011 
Must Dash.
Get it?
So I feel like I’ve been a bad blogger lately… I promise, it’s not you… it’s me. And no, I’m not blogging anyone else
Please know that I want nothing more than to fill your inboxes, smartphones and computer screens with creative decorating ideas, DIY inspiration, and beautiful things for your home… but all the sudden this lady got BUSY! Between wedding planning, weekends away, and celebrating momentous occasions (SHOUT OUT TO NINA AND MATT – HUGE CONGRATS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT!) HFoP might have to slow down a tiny bit over the next few weeks… 
Tomorrow I am so excited to head off to Miami to celebrate my amazing friend Ashleigh’s last months of singledom… Whoohoo!!! But I promise to be back next week!
And I’d like to leave you with a little assignment….
What is the one item in your home you can’t seem to settle on/get enough of?
For example, in college my Miami bachelorette friend Ashleigh (above) bought new duvet covers like it was her job…. And I’ve definitely been on a wall print splurge….
So what’s YOUR thing? Comment below!
June 21st, 2011 Morning friends! I am back on the mainland after a fantastic weekend in Martha’s Vineyard. We stayed at my friend Joanna’s parent’s amazing house (thanks Avens!!) and so of course I brought my camera.
For those who have never been to Martha’s Vineyard, it is such a blast. It starts with a glamorous boat ride…
I use the word glamorous very generously… however it DOES serve wine and beer – so what else can you ask for?
Someone’s excited…
One of the coolest things about the Vineyard is how super dog friendly it is… Ahoy Roxy!
Here are two beautiful homes you can see when pulling out of Woods Hole (Cape Cod) where the boat docks. They are both made of Cedar Shakes siding which is huuuuge on the Vineyard, Cape and Islands because of it’s extreme durability in severe weather. It just screams New England.
And what’s cooler is that the shingles actually start out looking like this:
And then turn into this:
How purty?
And while there are definitely some gorgeous EXPENSIVE homes on MV, the island is not at all pretentious. It costs $16 bucks to take the ferry round trip, and once on the island, all you need is a bathing suit, some sneakers, and a craving for good seafood – and you can have yourself a grand ole time.
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So Friday it poured… but that’s ok because we found a great spot to start the day. I definitely recommend the Seafood Shanty in Edgartown for food and drinks.
Boys, did you not get the straw hat memo? Yes, we’re that cool.
And there’s also lot’s and lot’s of shopping… Mostly look but don’t touch stores, but how cool are these prints? Reminds me of Millie May Studios work! 
I love this one. I have been saving our calendar prints that look just like this, for a future framing project… Now all I need is a very warn looking frame!
Nothin like a little Chevron to brighten a rainy day….
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So our weekend pretty much consisted of the beach, food, drinks, and lot’s and lot’s of THIS game:
This “no name sand bag toss game” is a serious good time, people – Thank you Stephanie for getting it for us!
And as promised, here are just a few photos of the beautiful home we stayed in…
Things to spot:
1. Outdoor shower? Say whaaaa??
2. Perfect beachy decor – simple and not overdone
3. Cedar shake siding!
4. Eclectic tile backsplash above the stove (favorite part of the house)
5. Beautiful and lush garden. Oooh la la
6. Solar Power – yes that’s right!
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And my response to last week’s love it or leave it?
LEAVE IT!
Lucite is way too modern and glamorous for this girl. Thanks everyone for commenting!
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