The Vintage Parlor

My mom is a colorful decorator and has bold and varied color schemes throughout the different rooms in her house. I've realized that my design preferences are heavily influenced by the colorful surroundings of my childhood. My house isn't as color coordinated as my mom's is, but I definitely don't shy away from vibrant and varied hughes. I love how Duncan and I have filled our home with eclectic colorful pieces over the years, but it's hard not be envious of the extreme opposite. Houses filled with white couches, creamy rugs and perfectly curated flea market finds are simply stunning. A lot of times it's the absence of color that makes them so striking.
I was introduced to Anna Rowland's Vintage Parlor Etsy Shop when she started following me on Twitter. It's not often that a shop is so aesthetic pleasing as a whole, but this one really took my breath away. Her beautiful photo styling and consistent color scheme made me want to move right in! Maybe some day I'll dedicate a single room to the absence of bright colors. If I do The Vintage Parlor would be my first shopping stop for pretty home accessories that tell a story.

Phonetography

I've gotten better at taking photos of the fun stuff in my life, but I still need to improve on getting those photos up here on the blog. Instagr.am has been a big help in the photo department so let's see what I've got....

Little Tappers - My girls (8-10 year olds) are getting good! Donuts - A sweet kitty in her donut bed and sugary cinnamon donuts with salted caramel sauce. Unexpected Romance - Duncan surprised me with a candlelit dinner with all my favorites after I returned from dance the other night. Romantic and so delicious!Strawberries - I wore my strawberry socks that I got in a trade from my new friends at TabbiSocks (you can also get them at Modcloth). Also enjoyed some organic strawberry fruit ale. It's seriously delightful.Mr Funnypants - Saw Mr. Funny Pants himself, Michael Showalter, on Duncan's birthday. Cuddly Cuteness - Can't help but giggle every time I see this hilarious little picture of my niece Audrey. I want to squeeze that belly! Also gotta love some cuddly mornings caught on film.If you want to keep up with more of my photos real time you can follow me on Instagram (user name vividot) and/or via twitter (also vividot).

Cat Fish

I picked up a a cute little fish toy filled with organic catnip when I was at the Holiday Bazaar Bizarre at Fort Mason last year. Olive has never had a toy that she loved more. She's licked it and clawed it and rolled over it so many times that it's looking pretty pitiful these days.I'm sure after three months the catnip is no longer what's drawing her to this little guy either. Maybe it's the material (made of Eco-Fi polyester felt made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles) that allows her to hold it up to her face with her little paw?Thank goodness the little tag is still in tact so I was able to track down the crafty lady who I bought it from. In addition to the fish for your feline friends, Ana Apple Designs is an etsy shop filled with adorable little onesies, bibs (little Audrey has one), wallets, and totes. My set of three fish arrived the other day and I was so happy to see that Olive loves them just as much as her original favorite.

Cupcakes for Breakfast!

It's Duncan's birthday today so I snuck out to 'get coffee' and got these delicious suprises from Cupcake Royale too. I flew one of Duncan's best friends up from San Francisco for part of his birthday present so they've been having fun the last few days. I dropped them off at dinner on my way to dance last night and they killed time drinking whiskey until I came back to pick them up. This Whiskey Maple Bacon cupcake might be just what the hangover doctor ordered this morning. A little hair of the dog with a sweet twist! I have been anxious to try this Salted Caramel treat since I took my first trip to Cupcake Royale. This one has always been sold out on my previous trips, but I was in luck when I went at 8am this morning! We're headed to see Michael Showalter at the Triple Door tonight (the other part of his bday gift from me). The venue looks amazing and we have a fancy booth to sit in. Should be a fun evening!

Happy Birthday Duncan! I love you so much and can't wait to celebrate many many more birthdays with you! xox Molly

POOL Tradeshow Video

Duncan put together another awesome video montage of our most recent trip to Las Vegas for the POOL Tradeshow.

Vivi Dot at POOL Tradeshow from Vivi Dot on Vimeo.

Make sure to check out my booth neighbors who were shown in the video as well. Plastique and Feisty Elle are two of my favorites.