Dining Room Rug

Hope you all had a great weekend. I had a fun time chilling at the shore with the girls and a relaxing Sunday afternoon with Ben, heading to the theater to see Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom...a must see!

The past few weeks I have been needing a change in our loft...thinking something to warm it up. I thought a rug under the dining room table might help break up our large expanse of concrete floor. I searched all my favorite places for rugs; West Elm, CB2, Home Goods, Ikea etc. After searching I decided I wanted a jute rug...perfect for a dining room in my opinion. I found the biggest jute rug for the best deal at Ikea this time around.

Yesterday we went to pick it up...I love how it looks and warms up the house. Check it out below...xoxo!

Picking it out at Ikea and Ben carrying it to the car.

Before...too much concrete!?!

Before and after with the jute rug.

It makes it feel like a dining room rather then a table plopped in the middle of our loft.

Love the new addition!

Favorite Four

Yeah it's Friday! Looking forward to a weekend down at the shore with the girls.

My favorite four for this week are (clockwise from top left) 1-We tried out a newish bake shop in our neighborhood for their pour over coffee...how fun is that decor! 2-A perk of living in the city is having many friends with rooftop decks. This is at one of the two roof decks we went to to watch the fireworks this week. 3-We hit up 3 BBQs this holiday...loved all the grilled food and this delicious strawberry tart my girlfriend made. 4-Being a nanny means spending lots of time at the pool. So perfect for these incredibly hot days.

Have a great weekend...xoxo!

Agua Fresca

While we were in Maine we were introduced to Agua Fresca i.e. fresh waters. It was one of the most refreshing drinks I have ever had. When we got home I had to find a similar recipe so we could make it ourselves for these hot Philly days. Here is my revised version of a recipe I found in the Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine:

Ingredients:
4 cups watermelon cubes
3 tbsp honey or agave nectar
3 tbs lime juice
a few sprigs of mint
ice

Puree watermelon in blender. Strain into bowl trough strainer. Stir in honey and lime juice. Transfer to pitcher; stir in 3/4 cups water ad mint. Chill and serve over ice.

All of the ingredients.

Straining the pureed watermelon over the bowl.

Adding the lime juice and honey.

Pouring the mixture into a pitcher and adding water.

Over ice and ready to drink...yum!

Maine Attire

Happy 4th of July! Hope you are enjoying a day off. This 'Maine Attire' post fits in perfectly with the colors of the day...enjoy. xoxo

When I was packing for Maine I didn't really plan outfits since we were going to be there so long. I just threw a few things in my suitcase and hoped for the best. When we got to Maine I realized I had packed all of the navy striped items in my wardrobe! Apparently when I think of Maine I think navy stripe. Here are a few things I packed.

Sweater:Old Navy, Stripe Scarf:H&M, Red Jacket:Gap, Sunglasses:Charming Charlie, Jeans:Old Navy, Shoes:J. Crew, Nail Polish:Essie in 'Read-y Set Ex' , Stripe Shirts:Old Navy & TJ MAxx, Solid Navy Shirt:Forever 21.

Maine: Part 2

Here are a few more pictures for you from our trip to Maine...xoxo.

LOVED these colorful cabins!

Beautiful sunset on the water.

Fun funds while antiquing. 

Fields and fields of wildflowers were absolutely everywhere...so beautiful!

Two of the most delicious Mexican restaurants I have ever eaten at were in Maine of all places. 

El Rayo was in Portland and El El Frijoles was in Sargentville. 

Lobster fishing crates were everywhere.

The Maine coastline was breathtaking! 

Maine: Part 1

I can't believe it is already July! Where did the summer go!?! Last month we spent 8 days in the beautiful state on Maine. It was nice to escape the Philadelphia heat and be able to go hiking as often as we wanted. Here are a few photos from our trip...there will be more tomorrow:) xoxo

On the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, overlooking the town of Bar Harbor.

Seeing lighthouses everywhere was my expectation of Maine. This is definitely not the case. There are very few that can be easily seen and most of the others you really need to talk with a local and get the back road directions in order to find them. Here is only one of the 2 lighthouses we saw on our trip.  

Lobster buoys are everywhere...in the water and out.

While shopping in Bar Harbor we found this great woodworking store...I loved their logo printed on the wood tags.

Jordan's Pond House in Acadia National Park is known for its popovers and tea. We were lucky to have a beautiful day to sit outside and eat our popovers and enjoy the view.

Old school while driving through the lobster fishing towns.

One of our favorite and most difficult hikes was the Beehive Trail. It was basically straight up the mountain so there were plenty of cables to help us up. It is so worth it once you get the amazing view on the top.

Favorite Four

It's finally Friday! I am looking forward to a low key weekend after all the the traveling we have been up to this month.

My favorite four this week (clockwise from top left) 1-Sadly one of our dear friends is moving so we had a going away party for her this week. However it was fun getting together with all of the girls and eating some delicious food. 2-Monday we headed into the city for a movie in the park...it was such a gorgeous night! 3-After the movie we stopped in for a late night snack at the Shake Shack...it just opened in Philly and we finally made it into eat....it was so good! 4-Picnics in the park are one of my all time favorite summer activities and we were able to have Wednesday night:)

See you Monday! xoxo

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry picking is a favorite summer activity of mine. I was able to go a few weeks ago when it was prime time. Here are a few photos from the day...xoxo.

Strawberry fields.

Finding the strawberries hiding under their bush.

Starting to collect.

Strawberry stained fingers.

The delicious ripe strawberries we came home with.

Summer Attire

As a nanny I spend lots of time at the pool and occasionally the shore. So a swim suit is something I spend lots of time in. I absolutely despise tan lines so a strapless one piece is my go to. Here is what I am wearing this summer...xoxo.

Cover-up:H&M, Suit:H&M, Flip-Flops:Old Navy, Sunglasses:Forever 21, Sunblock: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 45

Friendship Bracelets

While we were in Maine we had lots of down time so I brought a few activities to do. Friendship bracelets are all the rage these days so I thought I would bring along a kit. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was a pre-teen but between all of us we managed to finish a few. Here is how they turned out...xoxo.

The materials...an instruction book/thread set I found at the local craft store for only $4.99!

Starting our bracelets...easiest if you safety pin your bracelet to your pant leg.

Some of us had a little confusion with the whole process while others could do two at once!

The finished bracelets.