Mother May I

I hope that everyone already knows this but this Sunday is Mother's Day. If you are like me, this Saturday is reserved for last minute shopping. We have put together a few gift ideas that are sure to please every type of mom out there!

For the Mom with a green thumb

Girly Garden Set

Seed Bombs "simply throw and grow"

Tool Tote *now on sale

For the Mom who loves having a full house

Tub for the backyard gatherings

Glassware serving up some sunny drinks

Celebrating the Cinco

It's Cinco de Mayo and you know what that means colorful decorations, tropical tunes, and tequila in every sip! Here are some tips for hosting the best fiesta this side of the border.  

DIY colorful decorations

Martha

Mini Pinata

Getting your sip on

Margarita Glasses

World Market *they are now on sale*

Perfect Party Set from Crate&Barrel


And now last but not least two Margarita recipes :
one frozen and one fruity to appeal to all of your guests. 

Frozen and Fruity

Ole!

- Meg and Whitney

Your Tub is my Love

Love Love Love this Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired bath tub turned couch. I think it is so creative, and bright and funky  (the fabric is actually the same as my bedding).  These unique pieces are found at Esty store, ruffhouseart, out of Lawrence, Kansas. You can have personalized couches made, and they have a ton of other cute stuff at their Etsy store including printed plates, stationery, and posters.

-Whitney 

Run for The Roses

The race is on and you don't have to be in Louisville to experience the Derby first hand.  Throw your own party!  Below are a few ideas for the perfect afternoon and what is a better excuse to dress preppy, wear big hats, drink Bourbon and gamble than the Kentucky Derby

The Official Poster of 2011 Kentucky Derby

event poster

The Invitation

Jockey Invite

Requirement for the Ladies

the perfect floppy hat paired with a preppy scarf

The Drink of the Day

southern living's classic mint julep

As for the gambling portion of the day I will leave that to the professionals, however my favorite part is hearing the fun names of the horses.  A few of my favorite this year are Pants on Fire, Dance City, Decisive Moment. My favorite name of all is Uncle Mo, not only because he is ranked #1 but because that is the nickname given to my dad by my 17 little cousins. How Perfect!

-Meg

Fader

Ombre is a french term used to describe the shaded effect, with colors graduating from dark to light. This trend is seen everywhere, and I can't get enough of it! From clothing and accessories to nails and hair! I'm more of a fan of the single color fades than the multi-color blending, but both are prevalent. 

   

Love this monochromatic blue dress from Saks, and all the bright fun colors these clutches come in!

This scarf shows a different blending technique from one end to the other. I think this yellow multi-colored ombre shirt would go perfectly with a comfy pair of jean shorts.

I love how the ombre technique is not only for fashion. Most of us have a large enough collection of nail polishes, that creating this look ourselves would be pretty easy! If your nail polish collection doesn't look like a crayola crayon 120 pack like ours, then you can just take your favorite color, and add a little more white to the polish for each nail. So many of the celebrities are creating this ombre look with dark roots and bleached-out ends, and I think Rachel Bilson pulls it off perfectly! It sure saves a lot of money on root touch ups at the salon.

-Whitney

Art Bistro

When I graduated from college with a degree in Studio Arts, a professor of mine introduced me to ArtBistro , it is the Monster of the art world.  The tips to becoming the artist of your choice are endless from children's book illustrator to animation.  A favorite thing of mine to do when I have some downtime is explore the portfolios of other artists and find inspiration.  This morning I came across this Graphic Design body of work by ExpressiveJ.  I just can't get enough...

-Meg

Good Day For America

Americans all over the country are celebrating the death of a man we have been hunting for a decade. President Obama says the death of Osama bin Laden has made the world "a better place." There are some pretty amazing pictures from across the country, capturing both this celebration and the remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center:

 

Lawrence, Kansas

Outside of the White House

 

US Troops watching Obama's announcement

Ground Zero

 

Time Square

9/11 Memorial Preview Site near Ground Zero

Source: NY Times

It sure does feel good to be an American!

-Whitney