THRIFTING, CINNAMON ROLLS AND CAPE COD

First things first. Big apologies. I've been neglecting my blog a little recently.  It's just that I've been on the road a lot. Last week I was in Cape Cod helping my Mom open our house for the summer rental season. It involved a lot of cleaning, gardening and raking leaves. We also took down a 25ft (dead) tree in the backyard.

 *My mom took this pic of me. She was thrown off a bit by my new camera and didn't quite capture the entire leaf pile. Who knows what I was doing?

Luckily, with rainy skies halting some of the outside work, we were able to visit many of the fantastic community/ church thrift shops and estate sales on Cape Cod. You've definitely heard me talk about them here. I managed to pick up 22 sets of glassware, some great milk glass, brass candlestick holders and Mad Men-like martini sets. These will all be coming to Octavia & Brown as soon as I can get them photographed. I might also need to throw a fantastic retro party too!

While I was in Chatham, I did manage to sneak in a cinnamon roll (or two) from Marion's Pie Shop. They are the size of your hand, but so soft and doughy.  Marion's also makes the most delicious chichen pot pies, but you have to get there early, because they sell out everyday...

Now that I'm back in NYC, I have a friend staying with me from San Francisco. She's a fellow foodie, we've been eating our way around NYC. More on that later this week...

HERE COMES THE RAIN {AGAIN}

Image courtesy of curvedwhite found via Pinterest 

Bracing for another cold, rainy day here in Cape Cod. Call it what you will, global warming, mother nature, but it seems like we've had more than our fair share. Until the gray skies go away for good, here are a few items are keeping me happy until I see sunny skies again.

  How cool is this shiny leather Mathilda bag by Orla Kiely?

Bright yellow Hunter Boots perfect for splashing around in the puddles. 

I love this striped umbrella found via Pinterest

These adorable letterpress cards would definitely make me smile on a rainy day 

GLEE WAS HERE

So, the other day they were filming an episode of GLEE on my street! I wonder if these gorgeous flowers will be part of the episode?

SPRING IS HERE {FINALLY}

Spring has finally sprung in NYC. I couldn't help but grab my camera and snap some pics of the bright tulips and flowering trees that are bursting into bloom.

A new (and welcome) type of snow in the West Village...

EMERALD GREEN SPRING

I'm ready for spring, I've said it before and I'm hoping if I keep saying it, it will finally arrive. What's making it harder is that while spring flowers are blooming everywhere, the trees have not gotten their full set of leaves. I think that's why I'm craving the color green. Not just any green, but a deep rich emerald green.

It all started when I spotted these pants in an ad from Gucci....

Obviously I couldn't afford those, so I found a cheaper option at Zara.

But then I started seeing green everywhere...

source unknown

I spotted this incredible sofa in the home of interior designer Bailey McCarthy in the latest issue of Rue Magazine.

My friend Mary Kate's fantastic Nick Olsen designed apartment was featured on ShelterPop. I can't get enough of those gorgeous green stripes in her bedroom. Check out the rest of her cool renovation here.

photo: Mary Kate Frank via Shelterpop 

This bright green piece of art stands out in a crisp white living room.

 Found via Lipstick on your Teeth

 I have always loved this Miles Redd designed kitchen from House Beautiful.

What a lucky 3 year old to have a bedroom like this with gorgeous wallpaper and headboard.

Real Living Magazine

I found these awesome Grant Hamilton prints over at Kate Spade

And how about this gorgeous green wedding dress spotted over at Green Wedding Shoes...

photos: Susan Dean

Yes, green is definitely my new favorite color for spring. Have you found any green interiors that you love?

MUST BE SPRING

Yesterday, my apartment was filled with gorgeous flowers as I prepped for a photoshoot for iVillage. In my mind there's nothing better than a cluster of delicious smelling flowers on my desk.

Here are a few sneak peeks...

How gorgeous are these bright red peonies!

One of the arrangements I was working on...

IT'S SPRING IN HERE...

Before the weather warms up, the first signal for me that Spring is around the corner is the bright daffodils, tulips and hyacinths that start showing up at the corner flower stands. Not only do the colors provide contrast to the gray skies, but they smell fantastic.

Earlier this week, I grabbed a bunch of flowers and some bakers twine and created a spring bouquet for my living room. I love the way the tulips fall in any direction.

I've also been forcing bulbs in my kitchen. My first amaryllis is just starting to bloom. It's amazing how satisfying that feels. Check out my tips on forcing spring bulbs here.

And... Happy St. Patrick's Day, for those who celebrate!

Happy Monday!

What a great weekend! I hope you got a chance to spend some time outside, enjoying one of the last weekends of Spring before we officially kick it into high gear for the Summer season.

I'm already dreaming about Memorial Day barbecues...

(Photo courtesy of Domino Magazine)

Happy Monday...

I hope you all had lovely Easter and Passover weekends!

Whatever your plans were for the weekend, I hope that you were out enjoying this fabulous weather. I am loving the spring flowers seem to have popped up everywhere in NYC over the last two weeks.

 Photo via lesterhead on flickr