while i've been missing..

we've been picking strawberries..

...and flowers...

...picking out a new phone case...

...watching some mr. bean...

...and playing in the sun.

be back soon!

behind the smokehouse

it may only be the end of may, but it's starting to feel like summer is here to stay. broke out the air conditioning units this week, and have had to use copious amounts of "Off" for all the mosquitos. (our yard is like a living horror film lately, as soon as you walk out you're surrounded by hordes of the little blood suckers. if anyone has any suggestions as to how to get rid of them, please fill me in!)

the house we live in was built in 1860, and behind the house is a really cute, old fashioned smoke house. there are still hooks outside and inside, where meat was hung. i like to daydream about one day finishing the inside as a wee little guest house...

dress: anthropologie // sweater: macys // collar: vintage // wedges: steve madden

have you entered my giveaway yet? :)

giveaway! [win a crocheted collar!]

hi all!

i'm so excited to be able to do this give away! when i scored three beautiful, handmade crocheted collars at an antique store last weekend, i knew immediately that i wanted to share one of these lucky finds with you guys! why? because i love and appreciate all of you who take the time to read this little blog and leave such sweet comments, SO very much! this is a way for me to say a great big "thank you" for making the first couple of months of "the modest muse's" life so much fun!

as you can see, the collar is absolutely beautiful - two layers of crocheted lace, with scalloped edges - so delicate and feminine! plus it's wide enough to pair with almost any dress or top! it was purchased as is - no ribbons, ties or buttons to hold it together, and i have decided to leave it that way, so the winner of the giveaway can attach the ribbon of her choice (or can sew it directly on to a special garment! there are endless possibilities!)

entering the giveaway is simple.. all you have to do is..

- follow "the modest muse" via google friend connect, and...

- leave a comment for me on this post, letting me know you follow, and your email address so i can get in touch when you win!

for additional entries, just...

                  - follow me on twitter! 

          (link is on the right sidebar)

             - tweet about the giveaway 

                   to your followers

[each worth one extra entry - make sure to leave comments/links for me on this post for each separate entry in order for them to count!]

the giveaway will end on the wednesday of june 8th, 2011 at 11pm EST. winner will be announced friday, june 10th!

XO!

it's a wonderful weekend

my in-laws watched olive for us all saturday afternoon and evening, while matt and i had a leisurely, wonderful "date day." it was so needed, and we had a fabulous time. in one afternoon we managed to get ice cream, browse a huge antique store for a couple of hours, (where i scored not one, not two, but THREE vintage-y detachable collars!!)

we had a nice dinner, and went to see a live production of "1776" (which wasn't that great in my opinion, though that didn't take one bit of fun away from our evening out!) and in between everything we did, we talked and laughed, and felt like young newlyweds again. so good.

how was your weekend? i hope it was as wonderful as mine! xoxo


ps: check back this coming week, as i'm doing my first giveaway on "modest muse"! it's a good one!

where's your pants?

olive has a great {albeit unique} sense of style. for instance, we caught her running around the kitchen like this last night. no pants. mama's shoes. tiger hat. feeling gorgeous.

i love this kid. <3

lazy

fact #1 - i've worn all of these clothes (except maybe the sweater) in posts already.
fact #2 - everything is from target. again.

{sigh}

facts aside, i felt pretty good wearing this outfit, and in the end that's all that matters. :)

gee's green dress

earlier this week i ordered this gorgeous dress from gee [of sock monkey & gee, and if you've never heard of her, please click HERE and check out her beautiful blog!] it feels a bit risky ordering used clothing from someone you've never met, but i had ordered another dress from gee months ago, which fits wonderfully, and i had been drooling over this dress for a long time, so i took the plunge - and i am SO happy i did! it fits like a dream, the fabric is so nice and the color is amazing.

i love it so much, that i even had the courage to take pictures without a cardigan covering my short, chubby arms! [i never do that, haha.]

so because i love gee's green dress [seen on her here!] and gee's lovely blog SO darn much, i'm sending her a great big air kiss..

xoxo

the postman brings a surprise

oh boy am i excited! i got a sweet little, leopoard printed package in my mail today from the shop of Anika Burke. it took me quite a while to remember why it was there, and then i remembered signing up for a giveaway promotion that sweet louise was doing on her lovely blogquite a while ago..

isn't the packaging purrr-ty?!

inside was the cutest elephant ring...

i'm in love! thank you SO much louise and anika burke! [XOxo!]

the little red jewels on the elephant's back fit right in with my bright outfit today...

dress: forever 21 // v-neck, leggings, flip-flops: target // elephant ring: c/o anika burke

i should be getting some more mailbox fun this week, as i used the last of my monthly allowance and ordered a lovely little dress from the closet of gee (of sock monkey & gee.) can't wait to show it on here!

parfumerie curiosite

happy tuesday! i'm starting to get back into the swing of things, post-vacation. (don't you hate the first week after a long vacation? all the laundry and unpacking and cleaning the smelly things out of the fridge..oh wait, that's probably just my experience. always forget to get rid of the milk before leaving, haha..)

today is a casual tuesday (though to be honest, as a stay at home mama living in rural america, every day is pretty casual!) i'm sporting shorts (yikes! legs!) and one of the purchases i made in SC..

...a scarf from "francesca's collections" ! there was a shop in myrtle beach, and it was my first time going to one of their actual stores (though the clerk informed me DC has a few locations, so i'll have to try to look those up sometime.) i don't usually wear scarves, but after being around one of my sisters all week, who is always wearing gorgeous scarves and always looks so chic, i thought i'd get one. you can't tell because my photo is a bit blurry, but it's got a lovely paisley print, and is a nice, lightweight fabric that will carry through summer and fall. i think i'll keep an eye out now, for pretty scarves. they add a lot to an otherwise simple outfit.

shirt, shorts: target // jacket: buffalo exchange, atx // shoes: steve madden // scarf: francesca's collections

another purchase i made in SC was a bottle of perfume. a lot of bloggers have been writing about signature scents, and the hunt for a great perfume. i've always wanted an original, signature scent but i'm extremely picky about perfumes. it has to be subtle, and not too flowery or musky, yet not too fruity either. the "francesca's" that i went to had some "tokyo milk" products, and i loved the whimsical scent pairings and the lovely packaging..

i chose #15, "french kiss" which has overtones of mandarin, tuberose, gardenia and vetiver. it's slightly spicy, yet sweet. i am in love.. and husband, (who is really picky about scents,) likes it too, which of course is a must. :)

have any of you tried any of tokyo milk's "perfume curiosities?" which ones are your favorites?

postcard

hi bloggy friends! i've missed you!

it's so good to be back at home, with internet service and my own bed, (though i will miss all the sun, the warm ocean, and watching cute dolphins jumping in the sea!) i plan on updating "the modest muse" on a regular basis again, just once i get our house back in order again, so until that happens i leave you with a little "video postcard"  from our trip. (all the people in the video are mine and my husband's familes..you'll probably recognize my husband, my olive, and i!) :)

[music by "beirut"]

coral-ated

i. am. exhausted. it's been a busy week, and an especially busy past 2 days, as we're getting ready to make the 9 hour drive to the beach tomorrow. today i did some mowing, finished and folded 2 big loads of laundry, took the dog to the vet to be boarded while we're gone, ran some last minute errands and now it's late afternoon and i still haven't packed a single darn thing. confession: i despise packing, and i always put it off until the last minute. not good..especially when i have to pack for three! (and my daughter requires more packing it seems, than my husband and i combined!)
[insert: tired, "poor me" sigh.]

i hope the weather is warm at the beach. as you can see, it's back to cardigan and tights weather where i live! last night i almost pulled our electric blanket out of its summer retirement in the closet, it was so cold.. silly weather.

other random news from this week: i have an iPhone again (thank you sweet husband!) and it's white!! i love it, and am so excited i get to take it to the beach (it will come in handy since the beach house we're renting does not have internet.) also, i got a much needed hair trim yesterday - got those shaggy bangs cleaned up a little. and today at the health food store, i found gluten free hamburger and hotdog rolls! do you have any idea how excited this got me? i haven't eaten a hamburger or hotdog with bread of any kind in over a year, so i can't wait to be able to enjoy a real cookout on the beach.
(sorry i'm rambling..i'm tired.) :)

anyway, it might be a week or more before i can post another outfit, due to the internet situation at our beach rental, so i tried to make this a good one! the dress is really simple, but i love the crochet lace detail around the neck. it feels sweetly old fashioned.

i was digging through a box in our attic to try to find some old purses since my old one was stolen recently, and i found a little forgotten treasure - a vintage purse i had thrifted years and years ago. i was so excited to find it! i used to carry yarn and knitting projects in it when i was at college. it brings back fun memories..

dress, belt: forever 21 // cardigan: target // purse: vintage // shoes: mudd brand (over 5 years old.)

last days of tulips

my little spring flower garden is in its last days for this year.. only a few, pretty white tulips left. hard to believe spring is fading into summer already!

i've been under the weather all day, and it shows a bit in these pictures (sorry!) nevertheless, i had a very busy morning, running errands, meeting a friend for coffee and a trip to the park to let our kids play, and finishing up shopping for our vacation next week. (we leave saturday for a week in the carolinas! i can't wait to go to the beach!) now i think i need a nap. :)

skirt, shirt and cardigan: target // shoes: madden girl

ten years later..

i, like the rest of our country, woke up with a sense of relief knowing that after ten long years, bin laden had finally been found and that justice was served.


"As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." - Ezekiel 33:11

gone fishing

husband has been reading up on fly fishing for weeks and weeks now, after his dad gave him an old, "been in the family for ages" fly fishing rod this spring. he's been practicing casting in our yard for a while now, and i convinced him to take olive and i with him to a local pond to practice on some actual water..

it was a lot of fun to watch him, and he almost caught a pretty big bass but unfortunately it got away. :(

olive enjoyed watching for a little while, but soon...

...she was ready to go find some swings. 2 year olds and their short attention spans...hmph.