Sunday Southern Days

Here are just a few things I'm currently loving this summer: All the new layouts for Shutterfly photo books . After YEARS of saying I'd get around to scrapbooking photos from last year, and the year before, and the year before, I finally caught site of one of my good friend's adorable little girls gracing the cover of one of these photo books at her home. That was it -- it was decided I would finally get around to creating my own albums. So far I have created albums for 2007, 2008, 2009, our wedding, and our honeymoon. More to come!   If you haven't previously seen pics on the blog of our pup, Flaps, you don't know what kind of cuteness you are missing. He's a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier we rescued last Fall when he was only 10 weeks old. My pup-based obsession right now -- these great, fluffy dog beds from L.L.Bean.  I haven't braved the recent Maxi Dress trend, but I picked up this black Maxi Skirt from Old Navy and have been wearing

Missy Ann at the Penny Pinching Preppy is giving away a lovely monogrammed Pottery Barn throw pillow in celebration of her reaching 300 readers on her blog! Enter to win here  by posting about the contest on either Facebook or Twitter, and posting in the comments section that you did. Good luck!

Because you never know when excitement will strike in the form of wiggling fingers.

I'm a sucker for a well-made bed. No need for 500 throw pillows, but I love the concept of layering various patterns and textures to create a complete look for your nighttime sanctuary. I started updating our Master Bedroom recently and created an  Idea Board to give my vision some substance as the updating begins. My project today was to create the three Euro Pillow Shams that will go on our King Size Bed. I haven't touched my sewing machine in at least two years and was a bit perplexed at how to even thread the bobbin. It only took one phone call to the Brother Sewing Machine Customer Service Line (very friendly and thorough service, by the way) to get my project up and running. Here was some Pottery Barn inspiration for the Sham I wanted to sew: I love the colors of this set, but I'm not a "butterfly" decorations kinda gal. Another inspiration, I love the tropical floral vibe of this set. Here is what it took to make the three Euro Pillow Shams:

Um, yum. Grilling, lighter meals, Summer cooking is my favorite! Tonight we made big Summer Salads with a Garnish of Grilled Potatoes. So delicious! Here is how it went down:   Grilled Potatoes Adapted from one of my favorite recipe blogs Skinnytaste Ingredients: - 1 large Russet Potato - 1 T EVOO - 1/2 t black pepper - 1 t sea salt Make it Happen: - Heat grill (indoor or outdoor) to med-high heat for 3 minutes before use - Scrub potato free of dirt - Slice your potato into 1/4" thick slices. Skinnytaste used a fabulous crinkle cutting knife from Amazon to crate adorable ridges in their slices, but alas, I had to settle for the Henckle straight cuts. - Toss to coat with EVOO, sea salt and pepper - Place potato slices on the hot grill and close the lid, allowing to cook for 10 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Yield: 12 slices (2 servings) PP+: 4 per serving (This is also a great way to find

Ain't it the truth.

Shoutout to Libby Morgan.

Sometime around 1998, I was visiting my cousin, Lia, in Atlanta and caught sight of her adorable yellow quilted dufflebag with her monoram. Monogrammed luggage??? My mind reeled. How have I not heard of this before? After a thorough grilling of the origins of this fabulous bag, I came to know (finally) what Vera Bradley was. My little world was rocked. I decided to go the route of picking a pattern and sticking with it, as opposed to having different pieces in all different patterns. And I discovered Classic Black. My love of Classic Black was born. Over the next few years, I collected and received as gifts all kinds of beautiful pieces -- duffels, totes, garment bag, wallet, cosmetic cases, you name it. Alas, in true Vera Bradley fashion, patterns are retired after a period of time. Out of respect for my beloved Classic Black, I only collected pieces from random patterns subsequently. Only recently had Versaille become my new favorite. Speaking of favorites, there are some

Just a little bright spot for your day. 

I love to travel, so checking another state off my list was so exciting (hey, it's the little things). A brief look at the states I've been to (not just driven through, but actually done things IN.) -- 27 as of this past weekend! Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Okahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming What's the next state to check off your travel list?

Gracious living includes gracious giving, especially when one has hosted you in their home. Here are some creative, thoughtful, and (most importantly) useful ideas we have seen online recently for creating hostess gifts at home. All of these are also great gifts for housewarming parties or end-of-the-year teacher gifts. Enjoy! Give Frozen Cookie Dough Balls with baking instructions for the recipient to enjoy later. Stainless Steel Colander filled with the makings of an intimate Italian Dinner - bread, wines, pasta, sauce, and fine chocolates. Premium Ice Cream tied with a pretty ribbon and Zyrol Ice Cream Scoop Ripe Watermelon tied with a pretty bow and kind note. Jar of Popcorn Kernels with Toppings to Shake On -- here they used Ranch and Pizza flavored toppings. Screwtop Glass Jar filled with sponges and my favorite, Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products for the kitchen. Welcome doormat with the family intial sprayed in a bright color.