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Well-Groomed Gardens

It's finally beginning to feel like spring in my neck of the woods and I'm welcoming the warm weather with open arms. Today I'd like to transport to any one of these impeccably manicured gardens with an Arnold Palmer and a good book in hand. What are you reading these days? I'm so looking forward to having the time to read for pleasure again!

{these beautiful pictures and many more courtesy of Patterson Maker}

For The Soon-To-Be Grad

 When we did the Design Darling Reader Survey a month back, I was surprised to learn that nearly 50% of you are between the ages of 18 and 24, meaning that you're either in college yourself or likely have younger friends and siblings who are.
That's why I'm so excited to introduce you all to my newest sponsor, College Memory Book. It's essentially a blank canvas on which to record the memorable moments of your four years in college, from the friends you made to the parties you attended and everything in between.
It's also a cool way to capture all the things that Facebook doesn't, the day-to-day events you might not have pictures of but that you'd like to remember. Freshman year I attended a lecture by Bill Clinton and I so wish I had written down how moved by his speech I was that day!
I would also use it to make note of major sporting events that I attended. This year Bucknell's basketball team won the Patriot League championship — some of the most fun games I've ever seen!
The College Memory Book features blank templates that you can download and customize with your own anecdotes and pictures so you have space for football tailgates and spring break trips alike! 
The spiral book could also function as a planner for big dates. I always save my past notebooks because I love to look back at what I had on my plate that month! Exciting meetings, fun concerts, stressful assignments that seemed super important at the time...
In short, the College Memory Book is exactly whatever you make it to be — and isn't that true for college itself? The book costs just $25 and I love the idea of using it to catalog your own memories or gifting it to a graduating high school student to keep track of his or her next four years.
How did you (or will you) keep track of your college experience? I would love to hear from you!

Framed Shopping Bags, Part Deux

Do you remember when my friend Kelly sent me this picture of framed shopping bags? The idea was a big hit so when I spotted this collage over at The Coveteur, I knew I just had to share. Kinda cool, right?