The Modern Mary Jane

strappy shoes

It's no secret that I love heels; the secret is that heels don't like me. Perhaps I was more adept at wearing them before I got pregnant and opted for a collection of cute flats and flip-flops for my swollen feet, but now I look ridiculous when I wear them as I teeter in my 4" stilettos down the sidewalk. There was an embarrassing incident recently that left me in near tears. For my birthday dinner (a rare child-free night on the town) I ordered a fabulous pair of leopard-print peep toe pumps … [Read more...]

The Garage: Final Frontier of Organization

organized garage wall

A major organizational project for our home in 2012 is the garage. The fact that we live in Boston and have a garage - let along a two-car garage - is an anomaly and a luxury. It's also a the primary storage facility in our home since we don't have an attic or basement. Since we moved to our home in the fall of 2008, we've accumulated a lot of stuff. Last spring we eliminated a lot of junk by having a yard sale with a neighbor, but some of it remains. The biggest obstacles to organizing our … [Read more...]

Dry Sink Changing Table

dry sink_changing table

When my friend Georgia posted pictures on Facebook of her adorable baby boy's new changing table, I just had to share. While many people opt to put changing pads on the dresser (like we did) or buy a separate changing table, Georgia's mom had he clever idea to use an antique dry sink instead. Check it out! The changing pad fits nicely into the sink area, but Georgia points out that dry sink sizes can vary greatly. She found a 16" x 30" changing pad that fits quite well, but most changing … [Read more...]

Cheap Chic: Ikat Shower Curtains

world market purple ikat shower curtain

I'm not yet over ikat, are you? If we were in the market for a new shower curtain, I'd pick one of these ikat options from World Market. Both are just $29.99 and would add chic global flair to a basic bath. purple ikat shower curtain blue ikat shower curtain … [Read more...]

Be My Guest!

be my guest wall art

To get my blogging resolutions off to the right start, I'd like to officially make the call for guest posts. I'd like to share one or two guest posts with my readers each month. Sound interesting to you? Great! I'm looking for bloggers in any of these fields: DIY (includes crafting, sewing, building, painting) Decor Fashion (includes beauty) Home gardening Entertaining (includes food/recipes) Mommy/family  Source: accidentallyoutoflove.tumblr.com via Laura@JourneyChic on … [Read more...]

January Blues: Stripes & Colorblock

colorblock and stripes outfit

January is my least favorite time to shop for clothes. The remnants of post-Christmas sales are either ugly or the wrong size, and stores seem to think that Spring is a week away. Perhaps if you live in some lovely warm climate, but up here in New England it will be too cold to wear capri pants and cropped jackets for a few more months. I suppose the other reason I'm not a fan of January shopping is that the offerings are so predictable every year. Without fail, the first month on the … [Read more...]

The Kitchen: To Rug or Not To Rug?

small kitchen rug

Over the holidays I made a lot of food for a relatively small New Year's Eve party with some of my oldest friends and their families. All that standing to bake, cook, and wash a mountain of dishes left me with chapped hands and sore legs. I can't blame my kitchen's tile floor for the pathetic state of my manicure, but it's totally the floor's fault that my legs were beat by the end of the day. This experience makes me wonder if a kitchen rug would work for our family. Here are some pretty … [Read more...]