Vacation in Vacationland

Last Sunday, Adam and I headed out for a week-long road trip through New England. We made pit stops in Connecticut (to see my parents) and Boston (to see several friends) before spending a few days with my extended family in Maine. 

Happy Fourth of July!

(via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

Readers, I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July filled to the brim with lively fireworks, summer fruit and an appreciation of our freedoms.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Make Room for Red, White and Blue

(red lantern / white lantern / blue lantern from JC Penney)

The fourth of July is right around the corner and, as a girl originally from New England now residing outside Philadelphia, the all-American color combination of red, white and blue are really speaking to me. I've rounded up some of my favorite decor that would add a little spirit to any setting.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

(via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

It seems like summer, at least the unofficial start of the season, is upon us already. I'll be signing off for the next few days to enjoy a barbecue, the release of the next season of "Arrested Development", a wedding and hopefully some progress around the house.

Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend filled with abundant sunshine, frozen treats and plenty of grilling!

A Late Summer Wedding

Greetings from Denmark, friends! (this is Ashley, in case you've forgotten me already)

My husband and I have a few more days in Copenhagen but are enjoying it tremendously.

I hope you have enjoyed the visiting roster of guest bloggers and their unique perspectives.

Many posted about the transition from summer to autumn, which happens to be my favorite season. But, before I can fully immerse myself in fall, I wanted to share a joyous summer wedding that took place two weeks ago.  

In a quiet corner of Connecticut, our friends Eric and Beth married on a peaceful farm overlooking the hills. The Tyrone Farm was the setting and it provided the scenic backdrop for such a lovely event. In a few short weeks, the greenery in these shots will turn their autumnal hues; but on August 25, the natural setting welcomed a new couple into matrimony. 

Eric and Beth are everything you hope for in friends: interesting, loving and deeply intelligent. 

My husband and Eric have been friends for a very long time, and each has now served as best man for the other's wedding. That is a special thing for two friends to share.

The flowers were all in full bloom for the affair.

All smiles.

Didn't my husband look dapper in his suit?

My fellow Hannans: my sister-in-law Allison, myself, Adam, and my second sister-in-law Jenna.

(all images via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

It is an event like this (and friends like these) that make me appreciate the beauty of summer.

I hope you enjoyed a peak into this truly happy occasion that made this summer all the better.

Happy Birthday, Martha!

(via Martha Stewart)

Today is  a special day in the story of all things domestic and lovely: it's Martha Stewart's 71st birthday!

(side note: who do I have to kill to look that good at 71?)

I write about Martha often, and extensively cite projects and ideas from her many forms of media, on this blog because I'm continually inspired by her talent, her tenacity, her good taste and her business acumen. She has built a worldwide brand based exclusively on her vision of "the good life," though that life may be purely aspirational for many of us.

Without Martha Stewart and her creative teams, how would we ever know how to create our own...

...gingham folding screens?

...magpie-inspired necklaces?

...elaborately carved Halloween pumpkins?

...or too-pretty-to-eat buches de Noel?

(all via Martha Stewart)

Whether you love or hate her personality or aesthetic, her impact on the world of cooking, decorating, crafting and decorating cannot be denied.

Happy birthday, Martha Stewart. Without you, the world might be a little bit uglier, a little less organized, and a lot less crafty.

TGIF, 7/6/12 Edition

(via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

It seems that after another long (though shorter) week, Adam and I just can't sit still. 

We're heading to the shore after work tonight and it will feel nice to escape what promises to be another muggy Philadelphia weekend.

Wherever you may be today, I hope you're feeling rested, relaxed and cool.

'Til Monday, friends.

Honoring Freedom and Sacrifice on July 4th

(Maira Kalman's illustration of Abraham Lincoln via Amazon)

"Four score and seven years ago our father's brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

***

May we never forget that democracy is meant to be exercised and refined continually.

Wishing you a July 4th that is filled with all of the pleasures of our guaranteed freedom.

How I Spent My Weekend in Maine

This past weekend my husband Adam and I, along with my mother, headed up north to Maine to spend a weekend with my extended family. We left Philadelphia on Thursday, which allowed for plenty of time to stop and enjoy the late June scenery (and seafood) in Vacationland.

En route to Gram's on Friday, we stopped in Portland, grabbed a bite at The Porthole (including a fresh lobster roll--we didn't let you down, Camille!) and spied a curious seal swimming into the wharf.

Mom and I stopped into several cute shops in Portland, which I'll share later this week. We spent Saturday morning around my mother's hometown shopping for antiques and snacking on ice cream from Gifford's, a Maine chain with a few outposts across the state. 

If you're curious--I found quite a few deals and can't wait to share my antiquing bounty with you!

But this trip was not merely about eating and shopping: we were there to celebrate the vow renewal of my cousin and his wife. The ceremony, which included their three little boys, took place aside a beautiful lake.

It had been a long time since I'd been to Maine in the summertime.

What came flooding back to me during my short two day trip was that I have a wonderful family in a great state that I can appreciate as an adult because I live in a place that is so very different. After several very long and taxing weeks at work, this little hiatus in Vacationland restored me.

Happy Monday, friends! More details of my quick trip (including a fabulous Portland boutique and my bargain finds) to come!

Sizzling Hot, Hot, Hot June Sales!

Today is going to be a hot one across the nation, so why bother to battle these scorching temps?

Instead, why not find that perfect spot on your sofa, in the comfort of air conditioning, and treat yourself to a little bit of retail therapy? 

I've rounded up some of the best furniture and home accessories on sale across the interwebs to help you forget this June heatwave. 

(1/2/3/4/5)

(1/2/3/4/5)

(1/2/3/4/5)

I love a good summer sale!

Have you found any bargains for the home on the internet lately?

TGIF, 6/15/12 Edition

I am so excited to arrive at Friday, blog readers. 

Do you want to know why?

This weekend my husband and I are going to see the summer group:

The Beach Boys!

I'm thrilled. I'm a huge Beach Boys fan and, in particular, I'm in awe of Brian Wilson's incredible talent.

It just feels right to see this band on a warm summer Saturday.

But before we say goodbye to each other for weekend, I wanted to thank you all for reading my confessional about blog envy and feelings of inadequacy. Truth is, I certainly don't always feel badly about reading blogs or writing one--if that were the case, I'd stop and dedicate myself more to ventures like exercise or other un-fun things! I know firsthand that the blog world is filled with talented, kind, thoughtful human beings that want to connect with others in a meaningful, open way--and that realization always trumps feelings of jealousy or imperfection that creep in on occasion.

Thank you for your honest comments. I'm really so grateful that you would share your perspectives here.

If I could send you each a yummy bouquet of chocolate-covered fruit, I would.

That's how much I care.

'Til Monday, dear readers!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Today is summer's unofficial start, as well as a day to honor those who gave their lives in military service.

The day also provides a welcomed respite from the last few weeks, which have been pretty busy for me (perhaps you noticed the less-than-regular posting 'round here). I began my new job last Monday, following two weeks that included a photo shoot (more on that soon!), a visit from my parents, and our trip to Chicago.

I'm trying to get myself back into the groove of working and being a productive wife, friend, and blogger, so bear with me! I promise there will be more projects and exciting news in the near future.

Have a lovely Memorial Day, sweet readers. Wishing you all a yummy barbecue, a winning baseball season, and a relaxing day at the beach this summer!

TGIF, 9/2/11 Edition

(via Pinterest)

Happy Labor Day weekend, lovelies. As quickly as it came, the summer is leaving us. For as sad as I am about the end of vacations and beaches and mid-season baseball, I'm thrilled to be entering autumn. 

So much has happened since the summer began...let's reminisce, shall we?

I decided to quit my job

I traveled to Canada for the first time

I was profiled in the Philadelphia City Paper

I enjoyed the company of family and friends.

All in all, it was a great summer. I hope you had a great one, too.'Til Tuesday, blog friends.

TGIF, 8/19/11 Edition

There are only a few more weekends left of summer before we all slink back into our usual routines and we start talking about school, pumpkins and sweaters (not that any of those topics are bad in my book). But, before we allow ourselves to be fully absorbed into the autumn season, let's enjoy the final fleeting moments of summertime before they're gone.

Last weekend, Adam and I enjoyed a Saturday in the lovely shore town of Strathmere, New Jersey and I managed to capture a few snapshots of the afternoon. Hope you enjoy them.

(all photos via me)

Wherever you'll be, I wish you a wonderful late summer weekend.

When Design Takes a Vacation

 Staying in a seasonal cottage like we are this week, I've been ruminating on summer homes on the shores of lakes or deep in the woods. I've actually never stayed at a magazine-worthy one, but there's something uniquely charming about a place that sees life for only a quarter of the year and is promptly buttoned up come Labor Day.

Sure, we have all seen fully renovated and well-designed vacation homes of the rich and famous in the June, July or August issues of our favorite shelter magazines, but can't perfection take a vacation, too?

We are spending the week with friends on a lake in Ontario and the appeal of this place far in the woods isn't the decor; it's the friends and the connection to nature that a group of late-twentysomethings lack in our normal urban existences.

Seasonal cottages and cabins also possess the distinct ability to stop time, to hold a decade or age inside their walls, so that when you visit you're immediately transported to the summer before college or the time you proudly completed several thousand-piece puzzles at the Saarinen-like table. 

I have to wonder, how many more memories does this place and it's decor hold?

However small the space, spartan the decor, or anachronistic the furnishings, the lure of the vacation home is the escape they provide and, perhaps maybe, it's a relief to overlook a shabby recliner or plush red carpeted spiral stairs and focus on the beauty of nature for once.