guest post - Mary-Kathryn of an unlined page

And another guest post! This time from my dear friend, Mary-Kathryn. She and I have been blogging buddies for years (how did that happen?). We met through work and became instant friends! The things we have in common never cease to amaze me! Sadly, this post was supposed to be Friday's entry, but I couldn't get my life together in time to get it up.

Do yourself a favor and visit her shop and her personal blog, especially if you like pictures of adorable teeny beautiful babies.

Hello Darlings! I'm so thrilled that Mary Straton asked me to do a guest post while she's on vacation! I give Mary Straton full credit for convincing me to blog ( way back in 2008, I think) and take full credit for getting her to embrace her beautiful curly hair!

When I was mulling over what to post about, I decided to revisit and update a post I did on my blog a really long time ago. If you are a magazine junky like me and ever read Elle Decor you may have seen their  "Short List" department that is in each month's magazine where they ask designers, celebrities and other folks for their list of 12 things they can't live without!

I love reading what products or things people swear by, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you!

So, here are a few of my staples...


1. Curved Bobby Pins - these are a vital part of my daily life! If you know me you'll know I leave a trail of them wherever I go. Thankfully after a short stint of being discontinued, these have popped back up on store shelves!

2. My planner -  Currently I'm using a Moleskine Planner, and might argue they are the best! However, I've been loyal to many different planners over the years, and although I like technology, I still am reliant on a written planner! It's where I keep my life organized and it keeps me sane!

3. A Good Pen - I'm particularly partial to the pilot v ball.  I hate nothing more than writing with a bad pen. See above, I write a lot!

4. A Big Purse -- These days it's more often the diaper bag I'm toting, but I gotta have a big bag. I usually end up with everything but the kitchen sink in there by the end of the week!

5. Nail Polish - I lean toward OPI, and love a good dark red ( Quarter of a Cent-cherry is a fave!) but I almost always have my nails painted. It makes me feel pulled together and a little bit fancy even if I'm in yoga pants and a t-shirt!

6. Carbonated Water - I've kicked the Diet Coke habit, and the credit goes to carbonated water! I used to be hooked on a Lemon La Croix Water but these days the new 10 oz slim cans of Perrier are my go-to!

7. Baths- Not so much for cleanliness, as for mental health! It's my go to place for relaxing, solving the world's problems, worrying, praying, a good cry or just winding down before bed! In my someday house, I'll have a big claw foot tub or even better yet, an outside tub!

8. Hair Products - Curly hair is often mistakenly classified as "wash and go," but I beg to differ. Whether I'm straightening the curls away or just giving them a little assistance, products and in my case, a good curling iron are key! I use a combination of Bumble and Bumble and Oribe products right now.

9. Good Bedding- My husband jokes that I should own a mattress store because I love to sleep so much! With a 5 week old baby I'm feeling especially nostalgic for sleep. I love a bed with lots of blankets, and lots and lots of fluffy pillows!

10. A notebook... with unlined pages! You never know when the moment will strike for inspiration, list making, note taking and having a good notebook handy is a must and I prefer mine without any lines!

So, what about you? What things can you not live without?  We'd love to hear!

p.s. Just a disclaimer, I know that all of these are just "things" and certainly have no real value in life, and I could certainly live without all these things!