A perfect summer day with Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips!

Good morning! Today I am tickled pink to present yet another wonderful "A perfect summer day" post! Say hello to a very stylish and fabulous friend, Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips. Someone so many of us know and love, and someone who always seems to have a beautiful approach to all she does. So its no surprise that her idea of a perfect summer day has me dreaming in a big way!

Pretty Pink Tulips is such a pretty and fresh take on Elizabeth's graceful style, where she dishes about everything from her own home to fabulous  parties, all kinds of chic resources thrown in with a little bit of travel and it goes on. I am always interested in hearing what she has to say. If you don't know of Pretty Pink Tulips....you must visit! Click here to say hi to Elizabeth. Enough of me lets get started with this perfect summer day, Elizabeth take it away.........
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Hi everyone! I've had so much fun imagining my perfect summer day for Tina's series. To me, there's just nothing that beats the ocean, so that's where you'll find me!

My perfect summer day would start at this time of the morning (or afternoon).....7 am because it is when I naturally wake up

The bedroom I wake up in would look something like this......

And my bathroom like this.......

A favorite beauty product I love to use during the summer........an oldie but goodie

And this is an ideal summer outfit that you might find me frolicking in.......a maxi dress

My view from my bedroom in the summer looks like this......

And of course this perfect summer day is located in...........Cabo San Lucas at Las Ventanas

After I am showered, fed and revved up to start my day, I will.......Exercise first thing to get it done. Then, put on my bathing suit & coverup (always the cover up!) and relax poolside with a stack of magazines and books.

For lunch this is my absolute favorite summertime meal......

An afternoon snack might comprise of........almonds. I love crunchy snacks!

My afternoon activity would be.........Relaxing at the spa with a massage and facial

The ideal summer drink is........Club soda with lime before 5pm, then some rose champagne

This is what would be served for my ideal summer dinner......

And where I eat it might look like this................

A perfect summer ending to a perfect summer day would end..........outside, under the stars, by the pool and a fire

The best part of my summer day is...........Relaxing in the sun, looking out over the ocean

Thank you, Tina, for allowing me to indulge in a virtual fantasy escape. Now, I want to plan a trip like this for real!Talk about dreaming.....please tell me that I can tag along, this is beyond dreamy OR how about a bloggers conference inspired by this perfect summer day! See, told you Elizabeth would hit a home run and boy, did she deliver.  Love it all from that dreamy ocean view and her  bedroom right down to her "back yard"! Then, ending the day just gazing out at the sea, feeling relaxed and sun kissed is perfection.  Crunchy snacks? Bring them on! Doesn't get better than this does it!  Thank you Elizabeth for such a fantasy like post that has me dreaming too and for everyone for stopping in. Want more Elizabeth?  Stop on over to Pretty Pink Tulips and tell her how much you enjoyed this! Wishing everyone a perfect summer day of their own:)

Enchanted guest #2....say hi to Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips! And 3 winners!

Good morning, so happy to bring you yet another wonderful enchanted guest, say hi to Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips. Another favorite and daily stop for me, Pretty Pink Tulips is one stop shopping for all things beautiful and elegant on everything from interior design to chic entertaining to floral design.  So am happy to have her here today to have her share with us her ideas on holiday hostess gifts, her elegant style was a perfect choice! Thank you Elizabeth and take it away.............

The Christmas tree, wreath and garland winners are announced at end of this post!

I'm so excited that Tina invited me over to The Enchanted Home today to share some ideas for holiday hostess gifts. 

The only thing better than being invited to someone's home for a special holiday gathering is finding the perfect gift that will show them how much you appreciated the invitation!

Though time does not always allow, I try to do something personalized for my hosts. One of my favorites was this acrylic bowl by La Plates. I filled it with popcorn and seasonings for a holiday movie night, but it can easily be used by the pool for the 4th of July!

For another friend, I created a monogrammed set of cocktail napkins. I loved this oversized circle monogram.

Hands down, my favorite scent of the season, is the Nest Holiday candle. Dress it up with an ornament tied on with ribbon and you are ready with a "hostess pleasing" gift in minutes. (Just be sure and buy one for yourself because these smell amazing!)

Eleni's Cookies are a sweet treat, especially if there are children in the home. They are a nut-free environment, so safe for those with nut allergies.

Finally, one of the most elegant hostess gifts is a beautiful orchid. Wrap it up in cellophane and tie on a holiday ribbon. Your host will get months of enjoyment out of it and I have found well priced ones at Home Depot or Whole Foods. 

The most important thing about a hostess gift is that it doesn't need to be expensive, just thoughtful. And, by all means, if you are known for your homemade gingerbread or jams, wrap that up and know that your hostess will appreciate the time you took to prepare a gift with love.

Here's to celebrating with friends and family! Happy holidays, everyone!

Thank you Elizabeth! See I told you she would deliver! And I am in love with every one of your choices, YES to monograms and a double yes for orchids!! You can come on over anytime!  Perfect gifts indeed. If you are not already familiar with Pretty Pink Tulips, you must stop by and check out her fabulous blog! Click here to visit.

I am thrilled to announce not one but THREE winners of the fabulous goodies so generously donated by Christmas Tree Market! 

Prize ID	Winner ID	Public Info	Private Info	Random Sorting ID	Weight
1: TREE	790705	BETH DUNCAN		09A33B07-6A4D-4170-B3E1-37057A1C76DD	1
2: WREATH	790727	LAUREN L.		0A915AD4-8747-4F7A-9A2B-CF22629DE509	1
3: GARLAND	790716	IVYCLAD		0C8B3A4C-86A8-4626-A71B-93220A48F58D	1

1st place for the 6' Frasier tree- Beth Duncan

2nd place for the 30" wreath- Lauren L.

3rd place for the beautiful lit garland- Ivyclad

Congratulations! Please contact me right away to insure that these items ship in the next day or two. Email me with your shipping information. If I do not hear from winner by tomorrow afternoon, I regret that I will have to select another winner as this is something that has to happen fast  since Christmas is just around the corner!! Hope everyone has a fabulous day, stay calm and jingle on! 

Guest posting today at Pretty Pink Tulips!

Good morning.... I just have to say thank you so much, I really am convinced I have the best and kindest readers in all of blogland! I vented yesterday about having had a bad day and then becoming nostalgic over Halloween about my "boys" being men now and not having a little one to share the holiday with. Apparently I have lots of company but your kind comments and emails truly warmed my heart...thank you for that. Today,  I am over at one of my favorite blogs in all of blogland,  you can find me over at my friend,  Elizabeth's  gorgeous blog, where there is always something beautiful blooming......

Pretty Pink Tulips(Click on blog header to visit)

I am sure many of you know of her fabulous blog but for those of you who don't please stop by and say hello, you are in for a delightful treat! I was excited when she asked me to participate in her "Four fall favorites" series about all my favorite things for fall. It was loads of fun to put  together  and I do hope you will swing by, so I can show you what fall means to me. Fall is an easy season to be inspired by so this was a ton of fun to participate in.

Thank you Elizabeth for including me and wishing everyone a fabulous day!!

In case you missed "The most beautiful fairytale in the world" yesterday, click here.....you will not want to miss it, it will take you away on a beautiful little journey for a minute or two! See you at Pretty Pink Tulips!

Also I was so honored beyond words to have been featured as "blog of the month" over at Red Door Home!! Stacy is a doll and I am so thankful to her for having selected my blog to be featured this month. Please visit her to say hello and check out her wonderful chock full of beauty blog, Red Door Home!!
Thank you Elizabeth and Stacy.

Behind the blogger...meet Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips!

Good morning!! I am so happy to present my second post on my Behind the Blogger series and today we have someone whose blog I know many of you already know and love, Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips. She always has such an elegant and refined touch no matter what she is talking about, whether it be a fabulous party planner she has discovered, flowers and gardens, decor, her own uber pretty and charming home, whatever....she certainly has the gift of captivating you and I promise if you don't know her blog already it is so worth the visit! Elizabeth perfectly combines a certain charm and grace from her Southern roots with a sophisticated savvy and her blog is a culmination of her wonderful style. So I was thrilled to get to know a little more about Elizabeth and her inspirations. 
Thank you Elizabeth for participating!Click on the header below to visit Elizabeth's beautiful blog.......

So....... what inspired you to start blogging in the first place? I had agreed to be on our town's Home Tour and was introduced to blogs by a friend. One of them was Eddie Ross. I bought a couple of items from his Etsy shop and that led to email correspondence and then Eddie & Jaithan coming to the Home Tour and being the guests of honor at a luncheon I threw that day. Meeting them and reading more blogs drew me into this world. I felt as though I wanted to be a part of the conversation, not just observe it. After a year of contemplating this....I just felt the urge to create Pretty Pink Tulips. I've been at it every week day since that time. 

How did you come up with your blog name? One of the things we did to our home after we bought it was pull out all the overgrown landscaping and start from scratch. The first year, we planted nearly a 1000 pink Menton tulip bulbs. They have become my outdoor "signature" and I felt it would be a fun, happy name for my blog.

Do you have a favorite all time movie? I love movies, so it is hard to pick a favorite. But, one I adore The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo.  

You get to spend a month in the European  countryside.....is it Italy or France?

This is so hard.....I think I'd have to flip a coin. 

Favorite meal?I'm from Texas, so my favorite meal is Tex-Mex. Chips and guacamole, enchiladas, tortilla soup. I strategically plan my meals when I'm home for visits so I can visit my hometown favorite, Mi Cocina.

Tell us as little or as much as you want to about your family.

I'm a 5th generation Texan who married a boy from the Midwest. We've lived on both coasts and have 2 little boys, who were both born in the South but being raised in the Northeast. Molly, our new King Charles Cavalier, is the "girl" in my life. 

If you could have any career what would it be?

I would love to be a writer and a photographer. Hmmm....I'm kind of doing that now.

Favorite design style? I like a variety of styles....to me that interest is in the mix. High/Low. Traditional/Contemporary. 

If you could only live in one color what would it be?

If I was limited to one color, I think it would have to be a soft, pale blue.

Favorite season and why? Summer....because it makes me think of being outdoors, on the beach, chasing fireflies, barefoot in the grass, tall glasses of lemonade, flipflops and freedom as a child.

Design icon? I have two. Jan Showers and Melissa Rufty. Though their styles are different, I would consider it a privilege to live in any home they designed.

One place you haven't been that you want to visit-

The French Riviera....high on my fantasy list!

What's your number one pet peeve?

Rudeness. There's really no excuse for it.

What are the two best things about blogging?

1) The friendships that I've made 2) The exchange of ideas with like minded individuals. I think most of us who blog have been amazed at how many people out there appreciate the same things in life that we do. We probably would have never found each other before technology and blogging existed.

You get to have a private dinner with any two people in the world, they can be from the fashion, design world, literary world, Hollywood, politics,etc....your choice. Who are the lucky two?

I think to have a private dinner with Oprah and Bono would be a mind blowing experience!

Do you have a favorite saying or quote?

Yes, I do! "Bloom where you're planted". My mother told me this years ago and it has stuck with me, as I have moved....a lot! I take it to mean, there are amazing people and opportunities no matter where you are. It's up to you to make the most of it.

Most overrated trend right now?

I honestly don't know. I try to stick to classic elements that can be updated with accessories, so I don't follow a lot of trends.

Reading anything interesting that you want to share?

My book club is reading Half the Sky....it's a little heavy for beach reading, but that's what I'm working my way through right now.

You are 18 again. What do you do?

I might have gone to college further away from home. I definitely would have figured out a way to study abroad. And, I would have  taken a leap into the fashion or design world as opposed to banking.

What are your plans for the summer?

I am fortunate to live in a town that is right off Long Island Sound, so I will hanging out a lot at the beach club, while my boys are at camp. I love to take a magazine or book and just sit under an umbrellas, facing the water and enjoy the view.

In ten years I will be....................

Writing, taking photos and trying to create a beautiful life.

If you could live anywhere on earth and money was no object where would you go?

St Barts is one of my favorite places....I think I would be very happy living there!

Best tip or two for any new bloggers reading this.......

Find your voice and just keep at it. Also, to get the most out of blogging you must cultivate relationships with other bloggers. 

Blogging to me is a creative outlet and an amazing addition to life  

Give me four words that describe your personality.Happy, kind, creative, thoughtful.


And now lets recap what makes Elizabeth tick.....

Thank you Elizabeth....so nice getting to know you. We have so much in common, no wonder I feel like I know you! Don't forget to visit Pretty Pink Tulips and until next time.......