a pretty Pinterest baby shower

hi, i’m meesh and i’m addicted to Pinterest. i pin away into the wee hours. and i’ve got a billion pins…on a billion boards…and nary a moment to make any of them. which sometimes makes me feel like a class A loser b/c why do i keep pinning? really, people.  why? so when i arrived early to help […]

How to paint wood to look like weathered Restoration Hardware wood

hi friends! i’m back with another furniture painting tutorial on how to use chalk paint to get a weathered wood Restoration Hardware finish. here’s my inspiration. a wonderful wood pier that we visited on our summer road trip. the irony is that the piece i was painting, was in fact, a real Restoration Hardware dresser….from the early […]

Traditional + beachy Newport Beach home tour

looking for some fantastic traditional home decorating and interior design ideas? our friends recently remodeled this spectacular ocean view home in Newport Beach.  bright whites are contrasted with touches of ocean blues, and they’ve also perfectly incorporated their love of east coast traditional decor. as you enter, you’re greeted with this grandiose entrance and sweeping […]

Restoration Hardware finish on a keg

i blog for fun..and mostly about painting furniture.  so when one of my 3 readers asks for technique tips, i’m humbled and sort of freaked out.  i’m by no means an expert.  i just sneak moments after the kids are asleep to paint stuff i find on the side of the road. with kids, i’ve […]

neighbors and cookies

  we’re blessed with wonderful neighbors. isn’t it awesome to come home from a busy day to this sitting at your door? yummy peanut butter cookies with hershey kisses on a cute white heart-shaped plate?   and this is from a woman who has 6 kids.  i mean, she found time to make these and bring […]

Annie Sloan painted home

given that i’m pretty much done painting every piece of furniture in our house, i figured it was time for a house tour!  these pix aren’t mine, but were taken by someone who specializes in HDR photography.  figured i’d see what results it would produce. basically, the camera is set up on a tripod, and […]

chocolate chip pancake goodness

  we’ve been in a pancake phase here at the house for about 4 years.  🙂 this momma hides all kinds of goodness in pancakes.  pureed veggies, eggs, milk.  start ’em young and they won’t know the difference! the problem is that when i think i’m doing a favor by adding chocolate chips, the kids […]

a gorgeous, romantic, Napa wedding

we just returned from the most gorgeous and romantic wedding….ever. the setting was idyllic with the changing leaves and warm breezes. i wanted to practice my photo skills, especially in low lighting. and there’s no better place to do that than in napa at the pristine Beaulieu Garden, which i believe is the private family […]

loving the fall flowers

this makes me happy. have a great day!

my hoarding issues

do you hoard?  i’m actually pretty good about purging stuff.  i don’t like clutter.  but there are some things that get me.  mason jars.  wood scraps.  and old architectural digest inspiration mags. i ran across some old mags with post-it notes tagging pages.  i thought “good grief.  these will be horrid.”  and i was pleasantly […]

cool, refreshing mint tea

it’s still very warm here in so cal.  too warm to start the fall garden. and this cool, mint tea is my companion as i sit for hours at the computer today.  the mint is going strong in the garden and we’ve placed a bit in jars around the house to keep the flies away. […]

glimpse into the Newport Beach countryside

yes, so there’s a quiet part of Newport Beach that offers horse properties and a rustic, farm, country feel. be still my heart! hello gorgeous! check out this precious chicken coop!  in addition to a worm farm, i want chickens!  and honestly, i don’t think my husband would ever find out… shhhh….don’t tell him where […]

blended iced coffee yumminess + a giveaway!

i had my bible study girls over for breakfast today.  i’d envisioned a nice peaceful meal outside until i heard lil G casually ask “what are those bugs doing out there?” turns out they weren’t bugs…but in fact, a swarm of bees!  run for the hills, batten down the hatches! then we were greeted by […]

flashback :: u penn reunion

 

a beautiful Japanese maple tree

isn’t this gorgeous?  i was visiting a friend back east and spotted this stunning and massive tree. they used to have two trees, but one drowned by an underground irrigation issue.  tragic. wow.  these leaves are so pretty.  they’re smaller than your typical maple. and look at this moss and the flowers that are resting […]