I love candles! There is something warm and inviting about them. When it comes to having them out, since I have always been a Yankee Candle girl, I allow them to sit in those glass containers that they come in. But when you begin to thinking about putting your home together, you think about other ways that you can present your favorites. I have to say that these Lacquer Pillar Holders. I love that they come in various colors and heights. It's something that's old school while having a touch of something very today and working so well with your decor as well. Take some time to think about all the elements that you want to add into your home. Then take a look at Pottery Barn to see what would look best and how much you plan on getting whether you visit the store, order via catalog or online!

I think that when it comes time to work whether you do it from home or just from time to time, you need the perfect space. I am a huge fan of this style of table! Available at West Elm, the Sawhorse Work Table has a glass top and sits on steel plated legs. This table is perfect to place within a studio, guest room or more. In addition, having a nice lamp on it which is also apart of the minimalist aesthetic as well. To add a bit of texture to the room, having a cubed bookcase which is accented with wicker baskets is a perfect touch and allows you to keep unnecessary clutter off of your desk as well.

This weekend my boyfriend and I went on an important errand to Blockbuster and found ourselves at a Pier 1 Imports! Of course they had an amazing sale going on and since we are in the process of decorating our place, how could we not stop in? I have always been a fan of this store and love the interesting pieces that can be found there. Interestingly enough, my boyfriend fell for this Red Bonded Parsons Leather Chair. Let's just say I didn't fall for it and fortunately, there was a black one that was like this that I was more than happy to compromise on. Thankfully, we were much more agreeable on other pieces but with sales from 25 - 75% off, this is a must to take a peek into!

Large parties don't just host themselves! You have to mingle, keep an eye on the amount of food that's out and you may need to refresh some drinks. You can make some of your running around much easier by having this Chesapeake Ice Chest on your roof, backyard or even indoors. This is a great way to keeo all your beverages cool and this piece is on sale as well which is always nice to have. Now the party is a little more manageable when you know you have a plan and can easily check on your guests without wondering about the temperatures for your guests!

First, I have to say thank you so much to everyone who participated! I love when people leave comments and share something about themselves! If you have always wanted to know what you could do to relax, I would definitely take notes from the people who left their great pieces of advice! But unfortunately, we only can have 2 winners although it was so close, I decided to give away 3 Spongelle Soaps!

Congratulations Jennae who was my favorite, I think it's adorable that she is able to relax while having fun blowing bubbles with her child. Obviously, she's a busy lady between doing graphics, blogging and also dabbling in yet another form of creativity! I checked out her site at Green Your Decor and I think we should all take notes!

Another kudos to Mary Jenkins! I love taking baths too and although I find to get the perfect one, it takes some time - it's so worth it. Check her out at Now Entering Momville - I definitely started reading it when I had a second and gave me some much needed laughs!

And finally, I love keeping it simple so how could I not include Theresa N who does yoga in her garden? Maybe it's because I grew up in the Midwest and sometimes miss those serene moments being out in NYC but it made me feel refreshed just thinking about it!

Congratulations ladies and thank you to everyone who put in comments as well. As a heads up and in honor of Fourth of July we have an amazing giveaway that will include two different items which is going to be fun. One involves a food that is definitely iconic when you think about Americana dining and the other is something that is quickly becoming a typical activity that we enjoy more and more! Both will launch on Mon and winners will be selected on Fourth of July so keep your eyes peeled!

I love tea. In fact rarely do you see me drink coffee. Tea can be had in any state and I am all about it but when it's hot out, I leave the warm brew and definitely want the cold kind. As nice as it is to buy a prepackaged bottle of iced tea, I grew up drinking tea that we brewed and let the sun get in there a bit and then chill it over ice. If we didn't do the sun thing, then we let the stove to do its thing and the refrigerator took care of the rest. The thing is, I never could do it because you would want to make a large pot, I hate playing with stoves and who will spot me as I pour hot liquid into a container. If that's what I have to deal with I will buy my $1.29 bottle!

But then someone at Tea Forte got smart and created this interesting system where you brew your tea on top and then pour it into the iced container. Notice that both are pitchers and will allow easy pouring from one place to another and it reduces the mess and all the steps in between! I love that you can use their pyramid infused teas that are larger that fit perfectly into the upper pitcher. I also love that this is not only affordable but has such a great modern look to it. This is definitely something that I would consider getting for my new home and maybe even an interesting new blend as well which is always a nice way to christen your new home!

So my past few weekends have been spent looking at condos in Hoboken. In the beginning it was very exciting and now I must say that you reach a point where you get a little desensitized to many of the features that you later learn are standard with the place that you are looking at! With that being said, looking at these crisp and modern places makes me want to decorate all over it! I have learned that my bf is fascinated (read obsessed) with ceiling heights and I am all about storage whether it is closets, shelving or bringing in containers. So as he looks for yet another amazing space, I tend to visit sites like Ikea to find these super cute Spice Containers. I love a contemporary/modern look and I love knowing that I can see what spice I am actually about to use. So it seems that we may be closer than ever in terms of getting a great place! I can't wait to share with you guys all the items that I plan on getting from Crate & Barrel, Ikea, Target and so much more!

Yes today is Mon and I am all about Mingling but I wanted to share with you something that will be changing in terms of "Sippin' Saturdays", which has been all about drinks, Snazzy Sundays which tends to focus on home decor and Mingling Mondays. Although from time to time this summer, these days will cover the topics mentioned previously, I will also take these topics to another level by taking in the best of what we can do on our long weekends! In these posts, you'll find great ideas and fun places to go to that are in the area or in our own backyard. I am so exited to share with you and if you have a restaurant, city, boutique, etc - share with me and I will come out to check it out! Consider this segment to be something like the travel channel of sorts and I will be your guide on fun items. In addition, due to the continued condo hunt that my boyfriend and I are on, I will also bring you yummie places to eat in the Hoboken, Jersey City and Williamsburg area as well.

Back to Mingling Mondays, I had the luxury of enjoying my first half day Friday of the season by heading to Bryant Park and watching other people enjoy the day as well. I am really getting into using my Flip and can't wait to start using it for my ultimate projects which will be revealed within the next few days and of course available on my You Tube channel! Until then, enjoy watching footage of people hanging out in the park and can I say that I loved being able to chat with everyone on Twitter as well. If you have an account check me out there and of course you can always catch me on Facebook as well!

If you are interested in seeing what is out there in terms of furniture or what you would like to put in your home, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair is currently going on now through the 20th at the Javits Center! This is a great way to see a variety of designers from all over the world in one area showing their creativity and innovation. I am definitely excited to see what is there as I do have friends who will be at this event such as Phuze Designs. Take some time to visit the site and if you didn't make it there this weekend, make sure to stop in after work or if you had planned to take a day off for yourself anyway!

Happy Mother's Day! There are so many ways to spend it whether it's at one of your favorite restaurants, going to a broadway show or in the comfort of your own home - you're bound to find a way to make it special. If you do have it at home and you have amazing weather, you'll want to make sure that you have it on your patio, roofdeck or whatever open space is nearby! When I look at these Water Hyacinth Pillows from West Elm, I think of all the ways that you can make your outdoor space cozy! Not only that, but Mother's Day makes me think of summer being around the corner with all of the amazing holidays that emerge. I love the idea of making your outdoor space taking on more of a natural look by making an oasis of sorts right outside. Somehow you can always make the island just at your fingertips, why not start off with making Mother's Day the kickoff to this event! Take some time to check out all of the items that are available from West Elm for everything inside and outside of your home as well!

No matter how much of a backyard, deck, etc that you have - you can have a pop up bar at your disposal thanks to this super cute piece, known as the Sydney Bar, that's available at West Elm. I love that there is space for you to prep, people can have their drinks on another stand and there are various areas to organize your beverages and tools. I love that you're glasses have a home, there are holes for wine and much more. I think that this is such a great thing to have and feel that it could even be something that you could use within your home for those that may be in large cities where we don't even have space to have a backyard. I think that this is so cute and is definitely something that you will enjoy having! Feel free to check this and much more at West Elm!