So Fresh and So Clean

When I was in college I bought my first dinnerware - eight place settings of really simple Dansk dishes in the prettiest shade of jade/mint. I still have, use and love those dishes. They look great mixed with vintage jadite plates. Green will always be a favorite color of mine, so it's fun that mint is having a major moment right now. So many pretty things to chose from!

ONE - Kelly Wearstler's Hue - the limited edition of this design book comes in the prettiest shades! My favorites are the bright purple and this mint.

TWO - Bench - This Ballard piece is a favorite. The price is right and I love the oak leg option. So pretty with the Suzanne Kasler mint linen!

THREE - Essie nail polish - I usually stick with reds/pinks/neutrals for finger nail polish, but toes are fair game for something really fun. I'm wearing this shade from Essie in this photo. (PS You can follow me on Instagram at jennykomenda)

FOUR - Topshop ballet flats - I've been wearing these like crazy lately. They're not the best made shoes, but they are pretty soft and comfy. Mostly the color is spot-on perfection.

FIVE - Persian style rug - I am so intrigued by this rug! Does anyone have it? It would be so pretty layered on a large natural fiber rug in a living room.

SIX - Mint Fleur Chinoise pillow - A year or two ago, Caitlin and I had street crepes (nutella and banana - my favorite!) and chatted about colors while she was finalizing her fabric designs. I remember talking about how much we both loved mint. So glad the color has a staring role in her textile line! That girl is so sweet, gorgeous and talented. Couldn't love her more.

SEVEN - Necklace - Bauble Bar nails it again with this gorgeous statement necklace. Perfect with a plain white tee and colorful cigarette pants or a maxi skirt.

EIGHT - iPhone case - This is my case du jour. Cheap as can be and a great color! I love that it's bright enough to make my phone easy to find in my purse, which I'll confess is a little on the messy side lately.

NINE - Lidded basket - Thinking my girls need this basket to hold their dirty laundry.

TEN - UO high-waisted jeans - These jeans are super-flattering, but also crazy long - like a 34" inseam. So unless you're a super model, you'll need to get them hemmed. I'd go for ankle length to make them more summer-friendly. 

ELEVEN - Peonies print - Some pretty little art from Minted's new art collection.

TWELVE - Robert Abbey pistachio lamp - I love any of Robert Abbey's lamps. I like the more modern lines of this lamp, especially since the color is a statement itself.

THIRTEEN - Fretwork fabric - Oh, Spoonflower designers, you treat me right!

FOURTEEN - Ikat style cotton fabric - I've never seen this Braemore fabric in person, but it sort of reminds me of the style of Raoul Textiles fabrics, which cost a million dollars a yard, so yeah, I like it.

FIFTEEN - Bud vase - I like vases like this one, with a decorative flower on the vase itself, to be used with greenery or just left empty on a display shelf. Don't you agree that coral and mint were meant to be together? Just gorgeous!!

Matches Cup

The pilot light on one of the burners on our stove is a little unreliable (even though it's been fixed a few times - we can't figure it out), so we have to keep matches on hand. I picked up a box of these green tipped matches at Target because I thought the color was cute.

The big box is less cute though and if I see it and have to use it almost every day, I think it should be cute! So I bought a few of these pretty mercury glass votives at Gracious Home and thought one would make a perfect match holder.

I remember seeing this idea in a magazine or blog somewhere. It's a two minute project (my favorite kind!). All you do is cut off a square of striking paper and glue it to the bottom of your cup. I use Magnatac almost every time I need a glue!

My cup was a little deeper than the matches, so I put an inch or so of coarse salt at the bottom before filling with the matches.

Looks cute and works well too with the striking paper on the bottom. Also, my girls don't know how to use matches, but just to be safe we keep the cup back further where they can't get to it. 

Love seeing those little green tips! :) Much better than a lighter or big old cardboard box!

The Yard - Advice, Please?

I hate showing in-the-rough before pictures without having some pretty after (or at least during!) shots for you, so I've been hesitant to share any photos of the brownstone. Those bachelors have not been so tidy! I could really use your help though. (and to make it clear - this is not our stuff. We haven't moved in yet)

I would love to be a really good gardener, but honestly, I have no idea where to even start. When we were first married, we lived in Arizona and our yard was mostly gravel and just a small lawn - totally minimal. Since then we've lived in places with no outdoor space. I haven't had the chance to learn about plants and yard care/design. I'm SO excited to finally start now.

We have an upper and a lower deck, both are about 5' deep and 20' wide - not super huge, but just big enough for a small grill, a table and four chairs on the upper deck (which connects to the living room). I'll probably put a small seating area on the bottom deck too (which connects to my office), but I think mostly that area will be for outdoor toy storage. I haven't figured that all out yet.

As I look through Pinterest and my inspiration folders at brownstone yards, it seems like a lot of them have stone or brick pavers. When we first walked through the house, I thought those flagstone pavers should go out immediately in favor for just grass (right after that astroturf gets pulled up off the deck! yeesh!)

But now I'm worrying about mud. Maybe putting down (prettier) pavers is the best idea?

Okay, all you yard experts - help! What would you do with this space? Ideas I'm bouncing around - a tallish hedge along the back wall for added privacy, some flowers and/or vegetables planted along the sides (I want to take out all those low bushy trees to the left).  Raised garden beds? Maybe a teeny tiny playhouse or a covered sandbox? The yard itself is 20' wide x 40' deep (this is a shot from the upstairs landing).

Any thoughts?