Starbucks Reward Program is Lovely

Starbucks is trying to turn their gift cards into a sort of pre-paid credit card, and it's working as far as I'm concerned. You can transfer funds from one card to another, which means you don't have to carry 300 Starbucks Gift Cards around if you receive them as gifts-- transfer all the money on to one card. Once the cards are registered on Starbucks.com, each purchase gets you a star-- no stars allows for a free drink on your birthday, five stars is the first level and thirty stars is the next. See the diagrams below. Not only is it a good deal, ( I was going to buy a drink on my birthday ANYWAY, but now it's free!) but if you need to get your coffee budget under control this is a way to control it-- it's prepaid, load it with as much as you think appropriate and then don't spend more than is on the card.

Check out more details at Starbucks.com.

Blog Lovelies

Sorry things have been a bit quiet here, Olivia and I are both dealing with some family business, but we didn't forget about you! Here is a cute childhood picture of us for good measure.

For starters, Olivia just spotted Michael Lohan at Starbucks and my mother said very loudly to my aunt "SHE'S IN PRISON." What she should have said was "Hello, Michael, remember when you were behind me in line at the grocery store and pointed yourself out to me in a tabloid? Classy."

For your entree, please enjoy some blogs I enjoy.

I was recently lucky enough to meet Molly, and let me tell you she is amazing. Molly is spending her second year in Nepal, working for a Non-Profit, and just generally being charming and hilarious. Read about her adventures on Nepali Molly (it begs the question of what she would have named the blog had she not gone to Nepal?).

Then there's also the amazing Maya writing over at Loving with Chronic Illness, we've mentioned Maya on here many times before (and she guest posted for Christmas!). Maya does so much, I'm always blown away! You also must check out the pictures of Maya and her hunku boyfriend in Italy this past June.

You must, must check out Rebecca's blog Fosterhood NYC. Rebecca is a cool, hip Manhattanite (soon to be Brooklynite), foster mama- she blogs about all aspects of foster-parenthood and honestly the woman amazes me. I'd never, ever considered fosterhood ever once in my life, and now it seems like a real option for me. Not only is Rebecca amazing, but her little girl Jacket is so adorable, hilarious and brilliant. They are both an inspiration. Read through, it will change your perspective.

And for dessert, enjoy this This American Life episode about dogs "In Dog We Trust." Enjoy it because dog's are funny, and so is David Sedaris (it took me a while and This American Life to get me into him). Also, this is the photo attached to the episode:

photo of Doby via FotoDawg on Flickr

(Doby's a Silky, just like Pip!)

A Lovely Purchase/Sale

I finally bought myself the Russian Navy Shirt from J Peterman. It is on sale from $44 down to $18 and I've been lusting for so long (actually, I think I may have bought it before and returned it. Now I can't remember, uh oh.) Anyway-it's coming to me, and I wanted to share with you the product description. Honestly, if this whole Lovely At Your Side thing doesn't work out (or you know, my 9-3 job at which I get paid) I'm applying to write for J Peterman. Heck, I'd write for them even if Lovely goes global (any takers?).

Wait a minute. Does Russia really have a navy?
They do. Of course they do.
Watch the news on TV tonight. If they're wearing striped shirts like this, it's the Russian Navy.
Unless you see a dark-eyed girl paddling a green boat and her boyfriend laughs and smokes and laughs and his cigarette is slightly less than one inch long and permanently attached and he is wearing a not bad-looking striped navy shirt, then it's France.
Unless it's New York.
But if the girl and her boyfriend are both blonde, and pale smoky-eyed, and he, you notice, is deeply tanned and wearing a striped navy shirt, then it's Finland.
Or the island of Sylt.
Or Krk.
Or Sukhumi.
Under a suit jacket, it's L.A. Or maybe Munich.
But when they're both wearing striped navy shirts, it's Zihuatanejo.
Or Sochi.
If there are two girls and one boyfriend and all three are wearing striped navy shirts, then it's definitely Russia.
Unless it's Central Park.

Lovely Note Cards

I've recently run out of my note cards-- they were beautiful and simple: pink and white stripes with my full name embossed on them, and matching envelopes with my return address. I had them for years and now I need new onces and I can't decide if I want more of the same, or a big change. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out my style.

I love the note cards from Sweet Grass Print on Etsy-- check out some of their great merchandise:

Custom Old Printing Press Lettering Flat Note Cards-set of 6 with color coordinated envelopes

Custom Pink and Lime Preppy Monogrammed Notes-Set of 6 with envelopes

Beautiful Orange Blazing Monogrammed Sun Flat Notecards- Set of 6 with envelopes

Check out more great stationary at Sweet Grass Print!

Knock Three Times on The Fridge...

Happy Friday, lovelies! What are you all doing this weekend? I'll be proudly attending two shows where Eric will be playing guitar. I love going to his shows because I always meet interesting people, get to relax outside, and take a ton of photos. Jenny's going to be celebrating her birthday in Brooklyn with Luis and friends...that's right, it's almost her birthday, and I have nothing to give her (more on this next week!). Yikes. Good going, big sis. Speaking of things that Jenny likes, when I came across this beyond adorable "Door to Another World," I sent the link to the birthday girl who wrote back in all caps, "OMG I NEED IT." You see, when we were little, Jenny and I would pretend that the refrigerator was a portal to another world. I think the world was supposed to resemble a Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood/Sesame Street scene; we would knock on the fridge and ask the imaginary "Mr. Owl" if we could come in. Sadly, he never let us in...probably because we would knock over the lettuce, apples, and cheeses, all things which normally do actually belong in a fridge. Anyway, quite obviously one of us never got over the dream of escaping into the fridge...Happy weekend, everyone!

Quilting Tips!

Here's what I'm doing today: quilting! I'm working on a quilt for someone special, and I'm here, at my grandmother's house making a really big mess of her family room. I've been quilting for years, it's my therapy, my art, my craft. There's something magical to me about taking a pile of different fabrics and creating one piece with them. I don't have much time to quilt during the school year, so when summer comes around, I ferociously jump into my sewing machine and let my quilter's mind run wild. Full disclosure: my name on Match.com was Rockstarquilter...it was one of the things Eric thought was so different about me! Quilting can be easy and fun, but it can also be frustrating, as with any art. Here's some tips I've learned over the years to make sure even the newest quilters can enjoy the art of quilting:

• A good iron: I can't emphasis this enough! If your patches or fabric aren't flat, it's going to be nearly impossible to cut or sew them straight. I didn't use an iron for years, and when I got a good one, it was like my quilting jumped to a new level!
• Sturdy scissors: If you can't cut without moving the fabric or if you need to cut the same line twice, you need new scissors. Fabric scissors can be expensive, but I've gotten great ones for under $5 at Michael's. And most importantly, don't let anyone use your fabric scissors for paper!
• Strong lighting: Having good lighting in your sewing room of choice makes all the difference!
  
• A good chair to sit on: If you don't have a chair that can support your back correctly while on the sewing machine, you're going to not enjoy the process of quilting. I've spent nights up sewing and couldn't move for days after (it's romantically called, "Quilter's Back").
• And something I always forgot growing up, oil your machine! Oil makes your machine run smoother and last longer. It's so cheap, so indulge in some good oil and save your machine!
  

Quilting should be fun, colorful, and exciting. And speaking of, I should get back to it...have you ever made a quilt?

Vintage Inspired and Truly Lovely!

Sometimes I stumble across an Etsy store which is so lovely it makes my heart pitter patter a little faster than normal and I often make a sound such as "eeeeee!" For example, check out these gorgeous handmade vintage-inspired dresses from Vintage Opulence. These dresses are outrageously lovely and feminine. Which one would you wear? (click each dress for more info)

Gorgeous Covers (for cheap, cheap!)

One of the reasons I love Lands End is that they have a great overstocks department. I just went to see if there were any tote bags on sale and look what I stumbled upon! These "Medallion Cutwork Decorative Pillow Covers" (16x16) would add style and function to any room in the house. I adore the colors of the covers; that blue would be perfect in my bedroom, and how stunning would that red look in a living room or even a dorm room? And, at the low price of $12.99 (they were $34.50!) you can have as many as you want in all the rooms in your house/apartment/dorm! Which color do you love the best?

Wedding Cake Love

I know cupcakes are the new trend for weddings, but while playing around online last night I came across these lovely, gorgeous, and truly delightful cakes. A wedding cake is classic, and I love that these cakes are personalized to the theme of the wedding, all the while remaining traditional and beautiful. Check out all the little details on the cakes! Amazing.

Which cake would you love to have at your wedding?

(All images via The Knot)

Vintage Lovely From Lovely!

Happy Wednesday, lovelies! Boy, it's around 11:00am and I've already been to school, Old Navy, Marshalls, and Kmart! Is it time for a nap yet? While I go watch The View and do some sewing, check out these Lovely from Lovely vintage finds!

The Genevieve Vintage Genuine Leather Handbag

This adorable leather vintage bag is a perfect accessory to any wardrobe! This is a classic bag which would easily pair with work attire, rain gear, or a formal dress.

The bag has genuine brown leather trim and tweed. It features a tiny crescent on the top. It has two handles, which measure 10 inches; the bag measures 6x9.5x3.5. This is a perfect sized handbag. The bag has 4 feet, making it great for any city adventure, for it won't ever touch the ground!

The bag is very clean inside and has an inside pocket. The bag closes with a zipper. This bag is very reminiscent of vintage Coach bags. It is classy and sophisticated, but very adorable and feminine.

**Free shipping if shipped within the United States!**

The Bingley Burgundy Vintage Travel Bag

What a find! This burgundy vintage faux-leather bag is perfect for traveling, school, laptop, or simply toting around your city.

It measures 15x13x6 inches. At its longest, the strap is 35 inches; however, it is easily made smaller with a sturdy buckle. It features two outer pockets, one with zipper closure, and one with clasp. The bag closes with a zipper closure.

This is a vintage Samsonite bag, thus there is a small tag on the front. The bag has feet and is very sturdy, so it is perfect for travel. It is totally clean on the inside.

**Free shipping if shipped within the United States!**

The Twain Vintage Overnighter

Did you ever feel like packing it all up in one big bag and going where the wind takes you? If you have, than this is the bag for you!

This light brown, faux leather bag is a must have for the traveling soul. It's spotless inside, with a large pocket. The outer pocket is large enough for papers, phone, and wallet; it has a secure zipper. The bag opens wide, and closes with a zipper. The faux leather has a cracked, worn feel about it, perfect for throwing in the back of a Jeep, on a boat, or stowing away on a plane. The bag is big enough for a laptop, as well. The bag has feet, making it ideal for traveling, for it stands on its own. The handle is long enough to throw over your shoulder or body. It has a buckle. This is a uni-sex bag, and is more than strong enough to hold all your important belongings!

Dimensions: 17 wide x 13 long x 7 deep on the bottom.

**Shipping is free if shipped within the United States!**