Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hello Yellow (and gray)!

So I am loving the yellow and gray color scheme right now and it just so happens that we are moving to a new home soon, soooooooo I am already decorating it in my head.  The home has an open floor plan with the kitchen and living areas flowing together into a great room sort of thing, so I have a fairly large space to work with there and thought it would be the perfect place to try out my new favorite color scheme.

Doesn't looking at this color make you smile?

There is something very crisp and clean, yet cheery and fun about the yellow and gray combo.  It's also sort of a modern/contemporary scheme without being too far out there.

Here are some things that I am eyeing for our new home in Iowa:

Cute artwork from Etsy.


Pyramid mirror by Dwell Studio

I love chevron and I love Dwell Studio so this is the perfect rug!

Fabric by Dwell Studio

Pillow from Z Gallerie

Pillow by Dwell Studio for Target.


Dining chair from Ikea w/dark gray upholstery.

So one upside to moving - I get to redecorate:)  And in case you didn't notice, I'm also loving Dwell Studio these days!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

My Farewell Tour of Charlotte

Saying good bye to the Queen City after almost 15 years!

Even though we aren't quite sure of our exact departure date, I am planning a Farewell Tour of Charlotte.  Part of me is excited to visit all of my favorite restaurants, shops and other hot spots in the near weeks, but the other part of me is sad knowing that I may not ever have the chance to visit them again.

I am certainly planning to come for a visit (or several), and in my heart of hearts I am hoping that we end up back here sooner rather than later, but there is always a chance that we won't or that in the meantime some of my favorite places might close (that would be tragic!).  So I feel like I need to cram them all into this short period of time, just in case.


My list is growing by the day but here is what I have so far (you may notice a food/shopping theme):
Mai restaurant - best sushi I've had here!  And a well kept secret.  If you ever go order the sapporro roll.


Pewter Rose Bistro in South End
Pewter Rose - my favorite brunch spot!  I must have a mashed potato omelette and mimosas here before leaving.  And the butterscotch scones of course!  This is where I held my bridal luncheon too:)
Encore Bistro - This is only on my list because of the yummy raspberry snow cone martinis - best drink ever!


Amelie's French Bakery in NoDa - eclectic decor and amazing food!
Amelie's Bakery - Though I've only been here once it quickly became one of my favorites.  The ambience combined with the best desserts ever won me over!
Cabo Fish Taco - If you've never been here you must go.  Such a cool setting in NoDa and great food too!
The Melting Pot - an oldie but a goodie!  I have always loved big group dinners here with the cheese fondue, main course and then of course, chocolate fondue.  I've never left hungry, that's for sure!
Alexander Michael's - historic setting uptown, amazing chicken pitas and the best fried pickles!


Edible Art cake
Edible Art - best cakes ever!  Not only do they taste incredible but the design work is amazing too.  Our wedding cake and just about every cake I've ever ordered for any occasion since has come from here.

And on to the non-food related stops on my tour:


Shopping Mecca 
Southpark Mall
More specifically - Tory Burch, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Urban Outfitters, Tiffany &Co., Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Pottery Barn Kids.  Can I afford most of those places?  Nope, but I sure do love to wander around and pretend that I can. Before I leave I will have the Tory Burch bag that I've had my eye on though!


Beautiful stone bridge at Freedom Park - seen in many movies!
Freedom Park - just because it's such a beautiful park and a Charlotte landmark.  I've taken many walks through this park over the years and eaten lots of funnel cakes during the Festival in the Park.  Great place!
Ikea - duh.  It took forever to get one here and now I have to up and leave.  I could wander around there all day.  Love that place!
Home Goods - I've checked out my shopping options in Iowa and found that most of my favorite stores have locations near where we will be living, except for Home Goods.  There isn't one in the entire state of Iowa.  Sad but true.
Nordstrom Rack - again, Charlotte finally gets one and now I'm leaving!


Home of the Carolina Panthers!
Bank of America Stadium/Carolina Panthers football game - this one probably isn't going to happen b/c I have such limited time to catch a game but I have some great memories of tailgating and cheering the boys in black and blue on.
Off Broadway Shoes - who doesn't love to wander around a store with thousands of pairs of shoes?

Just reading over that list is exhausting!  Sometimes I forget how many great things Charlotte has to offer.  And that's just scratching the surface!



Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wednesday's Wish List

No Wish List last week due to a little one in the hospital but I'm back and ready with another one.

This one is strictly a Tory Burch Wish List.  How I wish I didn't love her so much.  I can't really afford her but I sure do love me some Tory.  And as a moving gift I have convinced Matt to use a small piece of his bonus to buy me a new handbag by Miss Tory herself.  It won't make up for the fact that I'm going to miss Charlotte and my life here like crazy but it's a start:)

This week's list has 6 items instead of the usual 5 but I had to throw in a bracelet along with all of the great handbags.  And there were even more items that I wanted to include but for today I'm sticking with handbags and the bracelet.

Lucite cuff bracelet.

Plaid rain tote.

Roslyn tote.


Trompe l'oiel tote.
Karlya carryall tote.

Tweed McLane bag.
Can you guess which bag is going to be mine?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Going Back To Cali

Remember that song by LL Cool J?  "I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali..."  It's been in my head since we made the very difficult decision to pack up and move our family.  Only we're not going back to Cali.  We're going back to Iowa.  Words I never thought I would say (or sing).



Maybe a more appropriate song title would be "Take Me Home Country Roads."  To the place I belong. Or so it seems that we belong there for the time being.  Matt was offered a job there, and not only is it a great opportunity for him, but for our whole family.  It's an opportunity that would be silly and irresponsible to pass up, so we're going to give it a try.

And speaking of family, ours will be close by now so that will be a luxury that we've never had before.  Maybe, just maybe, Matt and I can ditch the kids with my parents and sneak away for a weekend.  Or even just one night.  Or even for a few hours.  Sadly, it's been years since that has happened.

Having family so close is one of the few perks that I can think of when it comes to leaving North Carolina and heading back to the MidWest.  I'm trying not to dwell on all of the reasons why I don't want to leave and focus on the reasons why this move will be good for us, and family is by far #1 on that list.

Thankfully we have some time before we have to leave so I plan on spending that time not only with friends, but also visiting my favorite restaurants, shops, and other Charlotte spots that I'm going to miss. And there are many.  I'll be sure to blog about each spot along the way!