Weekend Update with Seth Meyers errr Lauren Santagate

So our trip up to MA and Block Island was just as fantastic as we hoped it would be.  Tons of good food on the grill, lobster rolls, too many beers and WAY too many dirty martinis.  Its so nice to spend time with our friends when we are all just relaxing and enjoying how vulgar we really are.  We took the ferry over just for the day and we lucked out, the weather was perfect.  Well, we all lucked out except for the husband, who got so ridiculously burned I actually felt bad for him rather than telling him he shouldve been more careful.  Thats just what happens when your Irish.

Best weekend in a long time.  BI round 2, next June.

Weekend Escape

Happy Friday chickens!  I cannot wait for this day to be over, it has been one crazy and long week (traveled to Miami for 2 days, major delay in DC on my way home) and I couldn't be more excited to get it over with.  The husband and I are heading up to visit one of our favorite couples in the whole world, Mariah and Justin.  The plan is to leave early tomorrow morning for a long beach day full of drinking and eating over on Block Island.  BI is off the coast of Rhode Island, most people think its near Fire Island in NY and they could not be more wrong.  The husband is a BI virgin, so it will be fun dragging him around to see all the sites.

This is what my weekend is going to look like, how about yours?

O.P

I had dinner with a good friend last night and as I was driving home up 10th ave I saw the super bitchy looking Olivia Palermo hailing a cab in the rain and it made me smile.  She looked so angry and I'm not going to lie, I did a little mini cheer on the inside because she was soaked and not one cab was stopping for her.  Thats what you get for being stuck up Miss Palermo.  On a side note, her boyfriend is pretty hot.
Me-1. O.P- 0.

Before and Afters [not so formal dining room]

We have been in our home for about 2 months now and it seems like we might be running out of steam.  The good news is, we finished most of the first floor before getting lazy.  Above are before and after photos of our dining room.

After ripping up the horrible Berber carpet, we were left the hardwoods underneath that were a color we both absolutely hated.  So after refinishing and staining a dark chestnut brown, we moved on to painting.  We bounced from green to yellow to blue, finally deciding on a dark (actual name chambray) blue that would compliment the dark floors and the ivory chair rail.  We also decided to paint the wall under the chair rail ivory as well, that weird taupe color just had to go. PS- I have a VERY strong feeling that these walls are going to be dark gray within the next year, you can quote me.

So once the walls were painted, we put our table and chairs back in and realized that they looked so small in the room.  The light fixture was left in the house by the past owner- I by no means love it, but for now it does the trick.  I am looking into a beaded type lantern, sort of like the one found HERE.  We picked up the sideboard from craigslist- it has tons of storage space and matches perfectly with the floors.  It has become a home for our silverware, since our little kitchen doesnt have a good silverware drawer as of yet.  On top I displayed some of our (my) favorite vases and an old sugar dish from my mom, as well as our wine rack and a photo from our wedding.  I saw the chandelier curtains on some blog (i forget where now) and promptly bought them- they were super cheap and i love the way they look.  The yellow Eames chair (also a craigslist steal at $30!!!!) is an original from the late 70s.  It needs to be cleaned up a bit but it is by far my most favorite thing in the room. 

I am still trying to figure out what type of window treatments for the bay window, but since we have new windows (yeah!) coming next week I guess I can hold off for now.  Dont mind the school bag in the corner of the window seat, my husband is a pack rat and likes to display everything he owns for days.

My plan for the big wall leading to the kitchen (not shown) is to either hang some vintage china in a funky pattern (plate wall if you will) or maybe paint chevron stripes across the wall.  For now I am leaving it blank until the right inspiration hits me.

On the other smaller wall, I am thinking either some sort of china cabinet ( that wont actually display china) or maybe something like the last photo- a hat rack of sorts.  I love hats and want to hang mine all over the house.  
So, thats the dining room in all its glory.  Trying to keep it clutter free is a challenge but I am looking forward to one day entertaining in this room and hosting our first Thanksgiving Dinner later this year!

Party til the deer comes to visit...?

The husband and I hosted our first party at our new home over Memorial Day Weekend.  You know, the (4th) annual Jersey Trash Bash.  We had about 50 people come throughout the day and to say it was overwhelming doesnt even begin to cover the way I felt- but we kept our cool and after a few cocktails (err vodka soaked with pineapples) all the pressure disappeared.  We partied from 11am long into the night, when a random deer (hi we live on a pretty busy road in a very residential area so where this deer, well doe, came from really is beyond me) popped by to say hello to the 20 or so people who were still in the backyard.

First picture- my ninja father doing the "cheeseball challenge".  The man fit 37 cheeseballs in his mouth and recieved cheers from the crowd that had gathered.  Ahh  this brings me back to my childhood, when all my uncles would get drunk and battle for the cheeseball challenge crown.

Second- just a crowd shot of some of our friends and our backyard.  Including McKenna, the first baby to attend the bash!

Third- me and the mom dukes taking a self portrait.  You cant have a party without a self portrait.

Fourth- Jenny P and I, right after she ripped open the pineapple/vodka infusion jar

Fifth- 25 people playing flip cup.  Things always start to get slurred after flip cup.

Sixth-Stark, Colby and Alicia.  Stark made the trek for the 3rd straight year all the way from Manhattan (really its just a bus ride) and the other two are first timers.

Seventh-The wonderful hosts.

The last two photos are actually from the next night- let me preface these photos by saying that my mother talked my father and Johns sisters boyfriend Ethan into painting their faces black with ash and walking to the park nearby to set off fireworks (so illegal). First you see Ethan in all his glory, he wears his sunglasses at night- with drink in one hand and fireworks in the other. And yes next up is my father, doing some type of army training crawl through the bushes (note the bushes are righttt around 2 feet wide) while my mother looks on so proudly. I can only imagine what people driving by/our neighbors thought of us as we paraded, 8 deep, down the street and to the park.   We came, we set off fireworks, we ran home through the neighbors yard as police sirens went off.

All white everything

All I want to do

Is cover my house in a nice little shade of mustard yellow.  It is chic but not so over the top annoying bright yellow.  I am keeping a look out for some serious pieces, or maybe I will just have to start spray painting things we already have.  The husband will just looove that.  Oh and besides the mustard yellow- the green couch isnt too shabby either.

Some Random Eye Candy

Stephanie Williams Photography

Stumbled upon Stephanie Williams Photography recently and saw this wedding.  How gorgeous are these two?  And I adore her dress.  Simply perfectly elegant.