0 Once In A Blue Moon

It's a blue moon tonight!

Not really blue--it's just an expression that means we have a rare occurrence of an extra full moon this month.

The last one was December 2009 and the next one is July 2015. 

Of all nights to be overcast, it looks like we won't be seeing the moon tonight... 

It's kind of weird that Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon was laid to rest today.

His family asked that when we "see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

NASA / Associated Press | Mohammed Abed / AFP/Getty Images

So even though I can't see the moon tonight, I will be sure to remember him and pay tribute to the original man in the moon!

Oh, and by the way, I've had this song in my head all day long!

0 The Old Chairs In Their New Clothes

Here is a sneak peek at the old "mauve" chairs in the living room in their new clothes.
It's a whole new, fresh and modern look.


At first, I wasn't feeling the love because they are so different and the other new fabrics aren't in the room yet to compliment them.


 But after playing around with accessories and once evening came, I fell in love with these chairs all over again.
They make me smile because the new fabric is just too much fun!

0 I've Never Met A Leopard Print I Didn't Like!

While not exactly true (I've met a few leopard prints that were heinous), it amazes me how I'm continuously drawn to a beautiful leopard print. 

 Be it for the home, or to wear, a little bit goes a long way, however a little bit is often just right to take a room or an outfit from ordinary to extraordinary!


Let's take a look at the latest leopard in my closet, beginning with a favorite blouse from Equipment.  I love to wear it over a black tank with skinny jeans.


Last week, I found this leopard cardigan with red detailing and little brass buttons from Lucky.
I took it with me to my nephew's wedding last weekend.  It looked great over my green dress and later with jeans.


Shoes with leopard detailing get me every time!
Love these flats from Jack Rogers with just a touch of leopard.
Great with a mini skirt, skinny jeans or leggings.


These leopard peep toe pumps have been my go-to dress shoe when the occasion calls for a LBD.

I get so many compliments on this leather leopard tote from J Crew.

It's my go-to purse when I'm traveling or shopping.


Be it the lining of a blazer or even lingerie, sometimes all the leopard you need can be found underneath it all.
This jacket from Cabi proves that point.  If the lining was plain, I probably wouldn't have bought it.
I love to roll the sleeves back for a peek of leopard, which compliments the menswear pattern perfectly.


In fact, I think leopard just about goes with everything.
Except other leopard!
This felt hat from Target only looks good if it's the only leopard print I'm wearing.
I would never put it with leopard shoes or even a belt.
And especially a leopard coat!

Speaking of leopard coats, I bought one many years ago in Tahoe, but always felt conspicuous wearing it.  I just wasn't brave enough yet.
My daughter Ashley "borrowed" it for five years, wearing it to everything from concerts and even to her own wedding!
 She rocks that coat!

After pinning this leopard coat from Pinterest, I decided I may have to borrow back my coat from Ashley!
I just love how it looks with stripes, denim and pearls.


I don't know why I wasn't brave enough to wear my coat, even Jackie Kennedy rocked a leopard coat! Which proves that although it seems trendy right now, it has been around forever.
Talk about classic!

I know I've shown this before, but can't end this post without a glimpse of all things leopard in my house.  This chair was destined for the dump until I rescued it and had it upholstered in Ralph Lauren leopard linen.

Simple paper leopard shades dress up the living room sconces and look even better now with the addition of grasscloth.

And then there are the stairs.
The smartest thing I ever did was carpet the stairs with this iron-clad carpet.
I do believe it will be around 100 years from now and has held up well with four kids and a dog.
I only wish I had also carpeted my bedroom with this carpeting!
But a little leopard goes a long way.  Right?
Either way, leopard is here to stay and I for one am very happy about that!

0 Back To School Thoughts

It's that time again.

Summer is coming to an end and fall is in the air.

It's time to go back to school!

The first day of school always made me anxious.

Which friends would be in my class?  Would I like the new teacher?

Did I pick the right outfit for the first day?

What if I missed the bus?

Would the classes be too hard?

Especially math!  Oh, how I hated math!

Thankfully, those days are long gone!

 As a parent, I helped pick out the right outfits, bought the school supplies and drove my nervous kids to school, telling them that it is going to be a fabulous year! 

I was really excited for them! 

I realized when I saw the "back to school" sign in front of the high school that this is the first fall in 30 years that I don't have a child to take to school or move in to college.

And it feels pretty good!

It also feels really weird!

0 Cool August Morning

What a gorgeous Friday morning in August!
Today we fly to Portland for my nephew's wedding.

That makes five weddings in nine months.

I told you it was the summer of love!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

0 Let's Sleep Under The Stars

Have you gone camping this summer yet?  Have you ever gone camping?

Well, it's not too late to sleep under the stars.

Preferably in style!

I am obsessed with the idea of "glamping."

Think camping, but with all the comforts of home.

How fun would it be to set up a tent in the backyard for the summer...

...and enjoy sleeping under the stars when the house is hot and it's cool outside.

It wouldn't even be that hard to set up.

A blow-up mattress and all those cast-offs in the garage would keep you camping in comfort.

How about camping out for a week long vacation that's easy on the pocketbook but big on memories.

Memories are exactly what I have plenty of when it comes to camping.

I grew up camping and we took our kids camping every summer too.

Not exactly glamping, but we had fun anyway.

It would have been more fun if we had this set up though!

I remember when my parents upgraded from tent camping to a trailer.

  It looked something like this.  

We were in camping heaven!

 I would be in camping heaven if I had an Airstream trailer to fix up.

Seriously, it's been a dream of mine to remodel and decorate one of these beauties some day.  

This is what I'm talking about!  

Glamping!

So whether you prefer a tent or a camper, grab the s'mores fixings, the insect repellent and sleep under the stars before the summer is over. 

You can read about my Airstream obsession here.
For more glamping inspiration, see my Pinterest board, "Gypsy Style" here.
All photos from Pinterest

0 Bliss Home And Design

I finally paid a visit to Bliss Home and Design in Mill Valley last weekend.

It took over the beautiful space that once was Smith & Hawkin, so I was hoping it would be wonderful.

And it is wonderful.

Pure eye candy!

Enjoy the tour....

Bliss has a huge selection of furniture, both new and antique, lighting, bedding and plants and floral decor for the home.  I could have spent all day here!

Even though I didn't purchase anything, I came away with lots of inspiration and ideas.

You can visit Bliss Home and Design here!