The Lovely Side

This giveaway is now closed. Click here for more contests . Happy August, lovelies! Today I'm partnering up with Anchor Bay Entertainment in celebration of their new film, SING STREET—a feel-good, coming of age story written and directed by John Carney (Once, Begin Again) featuring the ultimate soundtrack of the 80's.

This post brought to you by Burt’s Bees . The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Lovely Side. Somewhere between college and the real world, good old-fashioned girls' nights went from being a weekend given to a special occasion. Girlfriends grow up, move part, score "big girl jobs," and get our own places. It's so much fun to look back on the memories though. Gathering at a friend's apartment. Getting gussied up. And going out for a girls' night on the town.

Our dining room is huge. Our dining table set was little. So I've been on the hunt for a nice, big dining table that will not only look more proportionate in our dining room, but also provide better seating for occasional dinner guests. (Let's be honest: G and I eat most of our meals on the couch.) I found the above table on Craigslist for just $100! It's currently flipped over as we're re-gluing the legs for stability (the half hour truck ride jostled them loose). So it's hard to see that the top is stained a nice dark wood tone—like our trim! The rest is painted a crisp, bright white. And don't those unique legs make a statement?! I can't wait to get this thing flipped over!

Summer—'tis the season for bridal showers and weddings. Not to mention college students heading off to college dorms and many moving into their first apartments. And, of course, a housewarming party here or there. I love gift-giving for these special occasions, but it's easy to end up stumped trying to find a balance between budget, function, and style. 

Cleaning should smell good. I have a confession to make: I'm a compulsive cleaner in the kitchen. No, not because I'm afraid of germs. And not because we're extra messy cooks. But because I love the smell of my cleaning products. Lovely-scented countertop spray makes wiping down the kitchen a delight. And dish soap that smells good and  doesn't eat away at my hands? That makes washing the dishes that can't go into the dishwasher so much more bearable. I just really enjoy walking into a clean kitchen that smells of rhubarb... or basil... or radish... or currently: pear blossom agave. Mmmm.

I've heard it said (and wholeheartedly agree) that a good book is like a good friend. But in this case, a good book is like a big, beautiful Victorian house that opens its doors to you, invites you to come in, offers you lemonade, and serves it up fresh with a side of decades-old secrets on pretty little plate. I loved this book. This book being June  by Miranda Beverly-Whittmore . I stumbled across an exclusive preview of June  on First to Read. A tale of suspense and passion, past and present, in rural Ohio? And a grand old house? I gave the excerpt a quick read, which happened to be the first couple chapters. I was hooked within the first few paragraphs. It was this sentence that really did it for me: "Houses don't always dream. In fact, most don't. Houses that dream are built for the ages (one or two perhaps, in every small American town)."