DwellStudio for Target

I can't say enough good things about things about the designers over at DwellStudio. They create fresh, designs, with a hint of nostalgic and whimsy of the past. I really love their bird series of prints. It is hard to find these in Target stores, but easy to find online.

Here are two examples of their "Peacock" bedding. One is in softer, muted tones while the other is brighter and bolder.

Two If By Sea

This is the beach house in Carillon where I took my sister and two daughters last May for a girls getaway weekend. I found this house via VRBO and we loved it! Great beach decor, balconies off both upstairs bedrooms, great amenities, easy walk to the beach, and the afternoon naps on the front porch swings were great!

I hope you enjoy my pics.

Carillon Beach, Florida....A Slice of Heaven

Carillon Beach is a lovely gated community of beach homes on tree lined streets with white picket fences. It is just east of the popular Scenic 30A area in the Florida Panhandle.

My family and I really loved Seaside and Rosemary Beach, but found those communities to be over-priced and over-crowded. Carillon offers more tranquility with equal quality of rental homes and amenities.

Having children, I also like that Carillon is gated, private and offers safety for families. There is a village in the community that has a coffee shop, ice cream shop, yoga center, beach store with bike rentals and several restaurants. The community has a bell tower that plays every hour at the top of the hour and is a replica of the Bells of Carillon in Italy.

We have stayed in Carillon 3 different times and enjoyed renting a different beach house each time. One of the homes was featured in Southern Living magazine, which we thought was pretty neat. The decor and comfort level were top notch at all three.

The beach has the famous sugar white sand and turquoise water. Most houses come with dedicated beach chairs and umbrella that are set up each morning by an attendant. The houses also provided all sorts of beach toys which saved us from buying a bunch of things unnecessarily.

There are so many things to do in Carillon and the nearby community. There are several grocery stores within 1/2 mile as well as a new shopping and entertainment venue called Pier Park.

To find homes for rent in Carillon, the primary websites are VRBO www.vrbo.com; Emerald Waters www.emeraldwaters.net and Carillon Beach Rentals www.carillon-rentals.com.

I will add separate posts with pics of the three houses we in which we have had the pleasure of staying.

My Morning Walk May 7, 2010

I have a gym membership at Lifetime Fitness, a mega-gym here in my hometown. I like Lifetime, but when the temperatures are in the 70's and low 80's with a low humidity...I have to get my workout done out with good old Mother Nature.

I live in an upscale community in the DFW area which often resembles Stepford. There are many perfectly manicured lawns in lovely neighborhoods, but it is nice to escape to a more natural (and imperfect) area to really get some soul food.

A short mile from my house is a nature trail that I love to escape to in the morning. When I enter the start of the trail, I feel a shift in my mental state. I always have my iPod with me, but each time I find myself turning it off and enjoying the sounds of nature around me. The sounds of the many birds fill the air and there is always a healthy Texas breeze blowing through the tall trees that surround me.

As I do each walk, I take a mental inventory of the sights, sounds and smells that I experience. I decided to take my camera with me on Friday to capture and attempt to share the beauty of my daily communal with Mother Nature. My pictures don't capture everything. Admittedly, the many butterflies and dragonflies were just too quick to photograph!