Love Letter

Dear June,

Thank goodness you've finally arrived. You really are the most perfect month, with your long hot days and balmy nights. You are adventure.

You are love.

You are new but always familiar, like arriving at my favorite place. You are classic with a surprising twist, anticipated year 'round. You are old, but embody youth.

You are sweet tea on the front porch swing while counting fireflies dancing in the southern skies.

You are bathing suits for the day's attire, bare feet and suntanned shoulders-- morning bike rides, afternoon pool sides, and evening dock sides.

You are that most perfect time of day when the sun starts to sink and the breeze lifts your hair and nothing at all can be wrong in the world.

You are lazy days, you are long days, you are happy days.  I'm your June baby always.

xoxo,
Ainsley

Dreamboat

Can I have one?

via here

Happy (Memorial) Monday

I'm back from my jaunt in the nation's capitol and possibly more in love with that city than ever before.
I say that every time I return from a city, but for those other travel-enthusiastics out there, you know how much there is to appreciate in the unique sights, history, and style of the cities across this big ole world.

Speaking of America (I wasn't speaking of America, but go with it), Happy Memorial Day to all you looking at your laptop/iphone/ipad reading this post! Our veterans and active servicemen and women were all over the District this week. Late one afternoon, as I was exploring the streets of Dupont Circle,  I watched as a teeny little boy, probably not much older than seven, marched right up to a large, camouflage and combat boot clad solider, and hugged him square around the knees--- and said thank you. I thought the crowd around me was going to fall over. Slowly, people started to clap as they walked by. While it's a little unrealistic to suggest we hug all America's soldiers around the knees or constantly outbreak into applause as they walk past (they'd be startled, no?), I think it's probably safe to say we should remember the gratitude for these men and women, fallen and still fighting.

In the meantime, while remembering your gratitude, I hope you're soaking up some sun and indulging in some all-American festivities today. See you back here tomorrow!

Hot Spot

Hello ladies. I'm due to wake up in a few hours for an early morning flight and simply can't sleep.

I've always fallen victim to the Christmas Eve type of excitement before fun events, and tonight is no exception.  As I mentioned earlier, I'm heading to D.C. for the week, and wanted to dash in and ask if you have any favorite places to eat/see/shop in the city? I'd love love love your input, and when I visit I'll be sure to snap some shots to include with your recommendations in my recap of the trip on the blog. Leave me a comment or shoot me an email (seriously, I love your comments and emails bt-dubbs. They totally make my day).
xoxo

Happy {Traveling} Weekend

Happy Friday little lovelies. A much needed weekend is upon us, but when is the weekend not much needed?

I'll be jetting off to D.C for the week on Sunday (first stop- H & M, dang them for not having internet shopping), so my weekend is filled with a Friday dinner party with girlfriends, packing, and tying up traveling ends. Until then, some gems I found this week that are point blank lust-worthy steals:

Steve Madden Haylow Pump

a classic staple across body bag

adorable chevron address labels

turquoise statement neckace

Happy Weekend! xoxo

(first flipbook pic from here)

Turquoise Thoughts

Rediscovering my love for turquoise as an accent lately...

(1,2, 3, 4)

You Can't Dance and Stay Uptight

Disclaimer: Sentimental Post. (hey, it's been a while)

Everybody has that song. I just turned on a little music to break up my school work and my song came on. Or, should I say, our song. Our song because I share it with some-odd thirteen other girls. Some-odd thirteen other girls that I've shaken and shimmied and spun and sung with along with the band when this song was played. Some-odd thirteen other girls that know whether it's a movie night or a cocktail party, this song will be played to bring a smile to our face and get us to our feet, twirling each other and attempting to out-dance the next. Some-odd thirteen other girls who each know they'll play it at their weddings especially for us. Some-odd thirteen other girls who I thought about today, and missed, when my iTunes blared the beginning twinkle of the tune.

It's a happy song. It's my happy song. It's our happy-together song, our "if ya ain't happy, ya better get happy dadgummit" song. If you haven't heard it, add it to your music library. If you have, I'm sure you agree. And if this is also our song, know that I miss you. You should probably go ahead and press play right below this and get up to move your body.

"We get it on most every night,

when that moon gets big and bright

it's a supernatural delight

everybody's dancing in the moonlight."

"Everybody here is out of sight, 

they don't bark and they don't bite, 

they keep things loose they keep it tight, 

everybody's dancing in the moonlight."

"Dancing in the moonlight, 

everybodys feeling warm and bright 

it's such a fine and natural sight, 

everybody's dancing in the moonlight." 

"We like our fun and we never fight 

you can't dance and stay uptight 

it's a supernatural delight 

everybody was dancing in the moonlight."

"Dancing in the moonlight 

everybody's feeling warm and bright 

it's such a fine and natural sight 

everybody's dancing in the moonlight." 

"Everybody here is outta sight

They don't bark and they don't bite

They keep things loose, they keep things light

Everybody's dancing in the moonlight."

"Dancing in the moonlight 

everybody's feeling warm and bright 

it's such a fine and natural sight 

everybody's dancing in the moonlight..." 

Beachy Thoughts

Hello little lovelies,
Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. As I told you, I'm wrapping the craziness up over here and will be back to normal so super soon. Thanks so very much for your kind comments, emails, and thoughts on the matter. Until then, I've got a little project on my hands that I could use your input with-- one that I'm happy as a little lark about.

I'm making the big move in about a month. Hello Gulf Coast- why yes I can walk to the beach from my future home. And you know what that means- I've been bitten by the decor bug. I've been lucky enough to obtain some really great pieces of furniture throughout my Oxford days to start a firm foundation for my first big-girl home. I've also been lucky enough to inherit my mom's crafty blood, meaning I'll be DIY-ing and thrifting/updating/recreating as many wonderful little projects as I can get my hands on. Look at a few of these I already want to get started on:

I want a large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, but do you love the wallpapered interior or what?

Gallery wall behind the couch? Easy as pie. I love the monochromatic tones and geometrical layout of this one, although my white-neautral-cool toned taste may mesh better with sepia prints. 

More easy prints: framed fabrics. 

This would be perfectly convenient for my upstairs balcony seating.

Mississippi + Florida= obvi

So my question for you is this: Do you have any favorite sites or blogs that offer the cutest of cute in DIY or recreation projects? I have a few favorites of my sleeve, but I'd really like your suggestions as I surge ahead in putting together my little beach bungalow.

More tomorrow. I'm back, promise. 

Here's to Monday

A Splash of Sunny

... pops of yellow do brighten the dreariest of days.

(sources here and here)