What I'm Loving this Week

I heart these decorative paper posies. They could work for embellishing scrapbook pages, picture frames, or even being adding to your gift wrap.

I heart these black and white cloth cocktail napkins

I heart these vintage earrings

I heart this nautical stripe tote {love the bow!}

Pain au Chocolat

{before going into the oven after rising over night}

{Ready to eat! Sorry for not having a cute photo. These would have looked better on a plate}

I love chocolate croissants or shall I say Pain au Chocolat pastries. I had my first buttery, flaky, chocolaty goodness treat while honeymooning in St. Barts in 2007 and I wasn't reunited with these yummy pastries until this fall when my husband and I went to Paris.

Since, flying to Paris whenever I am in the mood for one of these yummy pastries from a cute Boulangerie is out of the question I will settle for the Trader Joes version. So happy I discovered these on a recent grocery trip as they are really tasty and one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast!

Cupcake Wars

I am so excited for the premier of Cupcake Wars as you all know I love cupcakes and all things related to cupcakes! Cupcake Wars premiers tonight on the food network channel and I can't wait! In the meantime, enjoy some of these pretties!

via we heart it via design sponge

via we heart it

via crafty angel

Vacation Recap

Our weekend getaway with my family to San Diego and to Coronado, CA was a lot of fun. We stayed on Coronado Island which made for a relaxing time. We ate some yummy cupcakes from this bakery, had pizza one night that had views overlooking the bay and the San Diego sky line, played on Coronado Beach at the Hotel Del, and spent a day at Sea World. We had a lot of fun at Sea World where we took in two shows. We saw the new Blue Horizon show which showcases dolphins and whales and then we saw the famous Shamu show. It was really fun to see how these animals have been trained and how incredible these animals really are. My family is in town all week where I am sure more fun awaits!

{at Coronado Beach}

{my niece collecting sea shells}

{loving the shark attraction}

{the dolphin "walking" during the show}

{Shamu}

What are some of your vacation destinations or favorite vacation memories with your family?

Happy Monday

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend and I would also like to say a big thank you to my dear friend Lisa for guest blogging on Friday. Our weekend escape to Coronado and San Diego was very nice but I am exhausted. Good thing I have all day to get caught up on laundry and my sleep. I will be sharing a recap of our weekend getaway as soon as I get the time to go thru all of our photos. In the meantime, I snapped this photo while walking around the neighborhoods in Coronado, California. I just love how the bikes are leaning up against this lemon tree.

Summer Beach Reads

Happy Friday, it’s Lisa from Lisa’s Yarns! While Cherry Blossom is off exploring with her family, I have the honor of posting in her absence.

I am sort of the unofficial librarian in my group of friends. I take pride in the fact that I usually am able to suggest a great book when a friend is looking for a recommendation. Today I’d like to share some great summer reads. All of these books would be great for a vacation get-away, whether you are escaping to the coast or to a lawn chair in your back yard!

Page Turner Mystery: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Engaging Love Story: The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans

Travel Memoir with a Love Story: Es Cuba by Lea Aschkenas

Tear Jerker: Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson

Chick Lit: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

What are some summer reads you would recommend to a friend?

Off to the Beach

{image credit here}

I am off to San Diego for the weekend! We are staying on Coronado Island and I can't wait to see the ocean. I am looking forward to doing some reading on the beach, building sandcastles with my little niece, collect some seashells, and take in the sites of Sea World. It should be a lot of fun.

And tomorrow I will be having a guest blogger! If you are in need of a good summer read make sure you check out my guest blogger as I promise she will be making some great recommendations!