Chestnut Hill Garden Tour

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Chestnut Hill Musical Gardens Tour (to support the Mann Center for the Performing Arts here in Philadelphia).  I went with two of my neighbors and we all had the BEST time.  Set up as a casual walking tour (with lunch included), we explored six different residential gardens.  There was such a lovely variety between properties-- styles ranged from modern to traditional, and organic/rustic to extremely manicured.  Some of the gardens even had musicians playing (which made us feel so chic!).  It was really fun and I tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible.  I snapped a bunch of pictures to keep for my own inspiration, and I thought I would share some of them here with you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

 

 

Anyone know what kind of fern this is with the beautiful overlapping leaves? 

Soloman's Seal (Polygonatum)

 

 

Japanese Snowball (Viburnum plicatum)

 

Azalea

White Triumphator tulips

White Triumphator tulips

Pink tulips

 

Of all six properties, my absolute favorite was this gorgeous Tudor home built in 1910.  The estate included 16 private acres in the middle of Chestnut Hill (amazing!).  The exterior of the home was stunning and the gardens were formal and impeccably manicured.  I took as many pictures as I was allowed...

front of the house

 

 

and, the back of the house (love all the windows and that built in sun dial above the doors!)

 

the amazing view from the backyard!

(there were herbs growing all along this pathway to the kitchen/dining room)

(loved that weathervane!)

(we spotted this among the plantings-- how sweet is this?)

 

 

It was a terrific tour and I would love to make it a tradition by attending every year.  It's always fun to see other gardens up close and personal.  I left with a new sense of inspiration for our own garden (I'm already thinking of planting those White Triumphator tulips in the fall-- loved those!).  If you live the in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend getting tickets for next year.  I'll see you there!

 

xoxo

Kelly

 

 

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Betsy Burnham "Tastemaker" Sale on OKL

Just a little heads up:

 

Tonight at 9pm EST, Betsy Burnham will be hosting her own "Tastemaker Tag Sale" on One Kings Lane.  And, it's gonna be good.  As some of you know, Betsy is my friend and former boss.  She's insanely creative, her taste is impeccable, and she's a master collector.  So, the OKL sale is sure to be fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of pieces she's willing to part with.  I imagine that the lot will include a variety of tailored, traditional pieces, mixed with rare and unpredictable collectibles.  She's pretty much a mix-master genius.  So don't miss it. 

 

 

 

 

6pm for the west coast shoppers / 9pm for the east coast shoppers

 

 

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Enjoying the Spring in Philadelphia

I apologize for the lack of blog posts this month.  Life seems to be moving very VERY fast and I'm only trying to keep up (I'm sure you know the feeling).  There are lots of exciting things going on at the Robson house, and despite the daily to-do lists, we're also managing to have a little bit of fun in between...  So, here are some updates from me over the last month.

First and foremost: this spring, Dave and I are cracking down on our 3rd floor renovation.  After Dave ripped out the crumbling plaster, and replaced the windows (which could not be saved-- historic purists, please don't send me mean emails.  The windows could not be saved.) and we insulated the entire space, we sort of let it sit.   Two years later (and one baby on-the-way), we are picking up steam and getting back at it. 

Our electrician outfitted the entire floor with new wiring, receptacles, and junction boxes.  Next on the list-- drywall.

 

 

The 3rd floor bedroom ceilings are only about 7.5' tall, so light fixtures were out of the question.  I decided to go with these fancy 3" LED recessed cans.  I think that they'll feel discreet while still providing lovely light to the cozy bedrooms.  Plus, they claim that I won't have to change the bulb for 25 years? 

 

 

I transplanted all of our sedum to the side yard.  I've been wanting to do this since March, so a few weeks ago I picked up a shovel and started working.  I transplanted day lilies behind the sedum, and soon I'll be planting my Limelight Hydrangea behind that.  Come summertime, that side yard will be a much prettier place (fingers crossed).

 

 

 

 

 

I made a simple flower arrangement for my dining room table last week.  I loved the way my mother-in-law's centerpiece looked at Easter, so I went out and bought myself the same glass globe vase ($11.99 at Michael's).  I'm not sure I will ever use another vase.  I'm loving this glass globe-- it makes everything look better.

 

(also, Peonies are back in season-- yay!)

 

 

My parents came to visit this week and we had SO MUCH FUN together. I took them downtown to do a little Philadelphia sight seeing...

 

 

 

We saw the Liberty Bell...

 

 

 

And, toured Independence Hall (something I've always wanted to do)...

 

 

 

 

(loved all that original trim)

 

 

 

 

(I swooned over the Windsor chairs)

 

 

 

 

Then, on Tuesday, I took Mom to Terrain in Glen Mills...

 

 Two hours later, we reemerged and drove home with bags full of goodies.  :)

 

 

(me and the baby bump (22 weeks) doing a little Terrain shopping)

 

 

(fell in love with this little plant-- it's ornamental oregano.  How pretty is this?)

 

 

 

Over the last month, I was also lucky enough to attend the Chestnut Hill Garden Tour (to support the Mann Center for the Performing Arts).  It was INCREDIBLE.  I had so much fun, and snapped a few photos while I was there.  Look for a post on that coming soon (so much gardening inspiration!).

 

 

 

xoxo

Kelly

 

 

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My Favorite Maternity Wear (so far...)

Come Saturday, I will officially be 20 weeks pregnant!  So far, I feel great, I'm not too big, and the baby has started to kick (all the time!).  Since maternity clothes can be expensive, I wanted to be able to wear my regular clothes as long as possible.  Up until now, I've gotten away with wearing a maternity shirt (or a long-waisted top) and a pair of regular jeans with a rubber band around the button hole.  But as my belly gets bigger and bigger, I find myself fidgeting to keep my top down and my rubber-banded pants up!  Clearly, these rubber band days are numbered.  :)  So off I go, shopping for stylish and affordable maternity wear.

When shopping for maternity wear, there are a lot of options (A Pea in the Pod, Motherhood Maternity, Target, ASOS, Gap, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, etc).  Since I will be as big as a manatee during the hot summer months, I decided to buy several sundresses, tanks tops, t-shirts, and blouses.  I also invested in a few pairs of jeans, a pair of leggings, and a couple pairs of shorts.  I work for myself (and don't go into an office), so I really don't need a ton of professional wear.  Most of the time, I dress pretty casually.  Here are some of my favorite things (so far...).

Dresses:

cheap and easy, these are perfect with flip flops... or paired with a cropped jacket, a belt and wedge sandals.

Target (here, here, and here)

 

 

 

fabulous maxi dresses-- love these!!

ASOS / A Pea In The Pod

 

ladylike & tailored, perfect for daytime or dinner.

ASOS  /  Ann Taylor LOFT

  

Blouses:

very cute, especially with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans (love the gold buttons)

ASOS

love the loose fit and contrasting collar

ASOS

adorable little tank, perfect when paired with skinny jeans

Ann Taylor LOFT

 

Jeans, Pants, & Leggings:

thumbs up to ALL of these-- they fit so well (the white jeans have expanding side panels, so they look like regular pants at the waistband-- love that!).  I wear the Gap pair almost everyday now.

Gap  /  ASOS  /  A Pea In The Pod

 

black leggings-- a definite staple.

ASOS

Shorts:

 

Both of these are great (they're so comfortable, I wish elastic waist shorts were more socially acceptable so I could wear them forever)

Old Navy  /  Old Navy

 

 

 

 

Tees & Tanks:

 

In my brief experience as a pregnant girl, I've realized that I really DON'T like tees/tanks with side ruching.  I know that the ruching is supposed to be more flattering, but I feel like all that gathered material only makes me look like I have a beer belly.   :)

 

 

My absolute favorite piece of maternity clothing BY FAR-- this striped tee from ASOS.  I LOVE THIS SHIRT.  Sadly, it is out of stock, but this navy & red option is still available:

 

 

take my word for it, this shirt is the best.

ASOS

 

 

perfect for layering, these tanks are terrific (fitted and long).

Target

 

 

simple and comfortable, goes with everything

ASOS

 

 

simple.  I bought this tee in three colors.

ASOS

 

 

 

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I would love to hear from the other Mommys out there-- did you have a go-to piece that you loved wearing while pregnant?  Or, what was your favorite resource for maternity wear?  I would love to know!

 

 

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NEW Pieces In The Shop!

 

We have some fabulous NEW items in the store this month!  Some really really great things.  :)  Check out the new pieces...

 

 

all items are available HERE

 

 

 

 

And, as usual, we've added a bunch of new vintage finds.  Since our vintage pieces tend to sell out quickly, act fast!  You can shop our entire vintage section HERE.

all vintage pieces available HERE

 

 

 

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