Summer Sandals

Sandals from left to right: Cole Haan | Madewell | Zara 

Madewell | Loeffler Randall

Cole Haan | Target

July 5th is here, which means summer is in full swing. It's time to let your feet do all the talking, and naturally summer sandals are the way to go. You'll need a good mix of basics, bold colors, patterns, sparkle, and something a little off-beat. Go forth and let those pretty pedis and tanned feet show off for the next few months. 

Happy 4th of July!

image from that kind of woman tumblr

image from Tory Burch

image from style me pretty

image from Chance Co.

Happy 4th of July!!  I hope you have trips to beaches, grilling out burgers, drinking beers, and fireworks on today's agenda. And a little bit of celebrating America's birthday, of course! 

One of my life-long wishes is to spend the 4th in Boston, but we're still knee deep in quarter close, which means I'll be learning calligraphy from a new class I found online, reading, and blaring music from The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, and Bear and Boy. I'm the last person to know about good music, but these three bands have been on constant repeat for most of my week. If you have any good music suggestions, send them my way! 

Happy Fourth of July!!

19sixty4

all images from etsy shop 19sixty4

Another shop I've come across on my hunt for Gallery Wall art is 19sixty4. I actually ordered a couple of prints from the shop last week, and let me tell you, these pictures don't even come close to doing them justice. All her prints are on metallic paper, which makes them incredibly vibrant and a little bit vintage looking. The shop is filled with great shots of Southern California, and if I had any ties to Southern California whatsoever I would scoop up all her shots of lifeguard stands. She also has other prints from around the globe with shots of NYC, London, and Chicago. We just received the print of Ancient Rome, and it's bright coral tones and inclusion of so many landmarks has me convinced I could just put on some gladiator sandals, open a bottle of wine, and be transported back to Italy. 

Weekend Update

My other half is currently in the middle of Quarter Close, which means my weekend was spent attempting to be quiet while he fields phone calls from Asia and Europe and his Blackberry dings around 9823408 times. Entertaining myself involved reading magazines, newspapers, blogs...pretty much anything I could get my hands on. A couple of interesting reads: "The Medication Generation" from the WSJ, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All," and the newest Veranda has a stunning home from Nick Olsen. Veranda is slowly working its way into my must-read stack, and the WSJ magazine that comes out monthly is killing it too. 

Our gallery hall is starting to come along slowly. I received my prints from Kristen Kirkley in the mail this weekend, and a couple of other etsy shops that I'll show you tomorrow. Now I just need frames...

Last weekend, we headed out to Hempstead, TX and got the.best.peaches. My go to summer lunch this week has been arugula salad with goat cheese, olive oil, and and egg, plus a side of fresh fruit. Quick and easy and soo good. 

Current Obsession

image from Shoppe from Amber Interiors

image from Connected Fair Trade

image from Couleur Nature

image from Connected Fair Trade

image from Connected Fair Trade

Kantha quilts. How gorgeous are they? These bright, cheerful, multi-colored, full of pattern textiles of fun have my full and undivided attention. I'm picturing them thrown across white couches with a mixture of pillows or laying across a bed with big monogrammed shames or as a picnic blanket, on an outdoor patio...

Kantha is a type of embroidery used in India, and these quilts are typically made up of old saris joined together by "kantha" stitches. I love the riot of colors and mixture of patterns you can find on these quilts; plus, I'm a big fan of anything with a history. Kantha quilts can run the gamut in price, but if you're on the hunt, I've found them on ebay, at Shoppe and Furbish, and 6of7 on etsy has a great selection as well, and the companies listed above carry them as well. 

Dreaming of Thailand

all images from Rayavadee

A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I created an ingenious plan that each of us could pick a big trip for our 30th birthdays. Technically, this is still a couple of years away for him and a little bit longer for me, but there is no time like the present to start planning. Especially when it means I get to look up breathtaking hotels during the US Open. 

In my research, I came across the Rayavadee Resort in Krabi, Thailand that looks straight out of the pages of Conde Nast. I mean meals in a grotto? Those beds on a beach that looks like that? I mean come on. After these pictures, Thailand shot straight to the top of the list. So thus far my list includes a road trip through Spain and Portugal, Thailand, Chile, or Australia. Tell me, which one would you pick? Or would you add something else to the list?

Summer Stripes

swimsuit from Topshop | shorts from JCrew | top from Tibi

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel top from Netaporter | Markus Lupfer shorts from Netaporter

Is there anything better than stripes? I have entire closet full, and I'm pretty sure I could find space for every single one of these items. Plus, the Net-a-porter ones are on sale. So, stock up my friends and happy summer!

Society Social

all images from Society Social 

a little shot of Casa Nelson in the Manifesto Magalog

When we first moved into our house, I knew my first big purchase would come from Society Social. Roxy has created an amazing line of fun, fresh, and classic-at-the-same-time furniture. Yesterday, she debuted her Manifesto Magalog, a catalogue/magazine of sorts (can you think of a better idea?!) that features amazingly styled rooms, sneaks peaks at her new furniture, and a little glimpse into the home of yours truly. Roxy can seriously mix up fabrics, colors, styles, and art, ya'll.


I am the proud owner of a Quinn (classic line, fun piping, totally comfortable) that is the coup de grace of my reading nook/formal living room. If you're in the market for bar carts, tables, chairs, couches, headboards, etc., Society Social is the way to go. Everything is customizable, unique, there are a lots of great fabrics and styles, it's affordable, and you get great customer service. My Quinn? Only took about 2-3 weeks and was hand delivered and taken out of the box. Plus, Roxy was super helpful throughout the process, emailing me back and forth and helping me decide about little details. 


I can't recommend Society Social enough, and if you want to know more about my Quinn or anything else, just shoot me an email!

Kristin Kirkley

all images from Kristin Kirkley

Over here at Casa Nelson, we're currently in the we've repainted all our rooms and have nothing hanging on the walls stage. We have plans for a gallery wall in our hallway, and I've been looking all over etsy for pieces that catch my eye. 

This weekend, I found Kristin Kirkley and am completely mesmerized by her photographs. They are so simple and beautiful, and I am trying to narrow down which prints I actually want to buy how many I can afford. She has the calmest nature shots and dreamy travel photographs, plus a blog with more pictures of her travels and inspiring images from other photographers. Stunning stuff, my friends.

Thankful For...

Last weekend was my brother-in-laws wedding, and I'm not sure it is possible to have more fun dancing, laughing, hanging out with family members and old friends, and enjoying all that Dallas has to offer. On top of that, I now have not just one but two amazing sisters-in-law in addition to my all-star close knit family. As you can see, the wedding sappiness hasn't yet rubbed off, and I'm just going to embrace it on this Tuesday of what I'm anticipating to be a very long week.