What's Going On Behind The Scenes

As we go into the weekend, I'd love to share some behind-the-scenes blog happenings with you all. One of the most exciting things going on is that my blog is getting a facelift! A new website design by Katelyn Brooke is on its way - she created this moodboard before starting into the new design to make sure that we were on the same page in terms of my new blog's style. She nailed it!

My new logo was designed by Kelly Christine Studio - it has clean lines and a feel of simple elegance that is just what I was looking for:

I also got a photographer involved in the gig. She was super patient and didn't charge me a dime. Many thanks to my oldest daughter for my new blog photo:

And I'm switching to a new blogging platform and will no longer have Google Friend Connect on my new site so if you've been following my blog that way, now would be a good time to subscribe for notifications of new posts by email instead. You can do that here:

In other behind-the-scenes news, I've been trying to finish up some projects that stalled out over the summer. It's been almost six months since I decided to replace my fireplace tile but I still haven't found "the one". I'm determined to not have to decorate around that old blue tile again for Christmas so I'm on a mission to get it done asap. I'm loving the options for patterned cement tiles that I've recently discovered - this one might be a winner - so gorgeous!

{Cement Tile Shop}

I'm also back to working on the finishing touches of our home office. After striking out on finding pre-made drapes, I've been searching and searching for the right fabric to make my own. I even took a trip to the mothership of fabric stores - Mood in NYC. I was surprised to find that their home dec fabrics were in a new space below the main store and everything was hung up and organized. (A huge difference from the crazy stacks and stacks of fabric in the rest of Mood).

I found fabrics for several other projects at Mood but nothing for my office drapes. But I just ordered a sample of a fabric that I'm thinking might be it. Fingers crossed.

And while clothes shopping isn't nearly as fun for me as shopping for my home, my girls and I have been doing a bunch of shopping this week since clothing is tax-free in CT through Saturday. I've had some great luck at Banana Republic lately. Between a shopping trip there before we went on our Florida vacation and a second one this week, I came home with these five great pieces:

navy dress / necklace / jacket / lace top / striped dress

The navy dress was the biggest surprise of the bunch - it looks kinda boring on the hanger but is so flattering when you try it on and it's a great piece to accessorize with a fun necklace. But my favorite is definitely the hacking jacket - I'm pretty sure that I'm going to live in it this fall. The back of the collar is a cream colored wool and it looks so cute when you pop it up! #80sflashback But friends don't let friends pay full price at Banana. They have 40% off all of the time - right now there is a 40% off online-only discount with the code BRGET40 through Sunday 8/24/14.

And before signing off for the weekend, I wanted to share one other piece of fun behind-the-scene news. My friend Kimberly (remember, the girl with the amazing taste who designed this killer office) is hosting a girls-only VIP trip to Round Top Antiques Week in Texas this September. The trip includes a stay in a beautiful nearby farmhouse complete with swimming pool and hired chef as well as insider tips and discounts for shopping Round Top. And the best part is that Kimberly will personally help you scour her favorite Round Top spots and find the treasures that you're looking for.

You can find more information about this amazing opportunity {here}. Please go so I can live vicariously through you :)

Hope you all have a great weekend - we are going to be living up our last few days of summer before it's back to the routine with the start of school on Monday. See you next week!