Tomorrow's To Dos

And they’re off

Posted on January 17, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Runner love update: After walking through Hobby Lobby’s fabric section (which wasn’t as big as I remembered it) I came up empty-handed. As my mom and I checked out the rest of the store an idea to use ribbon as a runner came to me, so I managed to find a few spools that struck my fancy and I think it’s going to turn out great!

Who doesn't love a ribbon runner? And when you are done, you can roll it back up and reuse it!

Tomorrow the whole Valentine’s dinner officially kicks off when my invitations get dropped in the mail. I firmly believe that if you are having a dinner party you should go the extra step and send out hard invites. There is something so special about getting it via snail mail instead of e-mail, don’t you think?

All I have to do is cut them down, stuff them into their envelopes and hand address them - then they're ready to go!

Posted in Decor, Parties | Tagged Invitations, ribbon, table runner, Tablescapes | Leave a comment

Runner love

Posted on January 16, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Yehaw cowboy update: I have never seen so many Wranglers in one place! My dad and I had the BEST time at the rodeo this weekend. As all of the riding went on I kept thinking to myself, “how do they get out of bed the next morning?”

Lights are dim, boots are on - ready for the show!

Who let these two goofballs in?

Both Marcus and I had the day off today, so this was the scene at our house last night. A lovely little Sunday night in front of the fire catching up on our shows.

It's hard being Karl D-O double G.

Tomorrow my mom and I are going to continue the search for the perfect fabric for the Valentine’s dinner table runner. We looked high and low today but just when we thought we had found it, we learned there wasn’t enough fabric on the spool – such a bummer.

Last place to check tomorrow, Hobby Lobby - my fave!

Posted in Family, Parties | Tagged rodeo, table runner | 1 Comment

Yehaw cowboy

Posted on January 13, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Wu, Wu, Jason Wu update: A little update-ski on the new Target concept. The bullseye brand announced that it will start selling products within their stores from specialty shops around the country. The new venture called The Shops at Target will begin this May with five hand-picked stores: The Candy Store in San Francisco, Cos Bar in Aspen, Polka Dog Bakery in Boston, Privet House in Warren, Conn., and The Webster in Miami Beach. The five shops’ merchandise will only be available for six weeks then five new shops will be introduced and featured within stores and online.

The Candy Store, San Francisco, CA

Cos Bar, Aspen, CO

Polka Dog Bakery, Boston, MA

Privet House, Darren, CT

The Webster, Miami Beach, FL

I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds and to check out new specialty store items that I would’ve never gotten to know by being in Des Moines, Iowa.

I might not be able to sleep tonight folks because tomorrow I am joining my dad to check out the rodeo that is in town! I have been dying to see one for quite some time, so I was sure to throw my name into the hat for these tickets.

I still need to figure out what one wears to these sort of things, but here is my take on cowboy chic. Have a good weekend ya’ll!

Shirt: J.Crew Factory, End-on-end camp shirt, $34.50
Hat: Grace, Braided belt cowboy hat, $75
Earrings: Wendy Mink, Turquoise stud earrings, $62
Bag: Michael Kors, Ostrich-effect leather saddle bag, $250
Boots: Target, Mossimo Katherine engineer boots, $59.99
Pants: Old Navy, The Rock Star jeggings, $34.50

Posted in Accessories, Fashion | Tagged boots, collaborations, cowboy, rodeo, Target, turquoise | 1 Comment

Wu, Wu, Jason Wu

Posted on January 10, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Can I ask a favor update: While walking down a Target aisle, these babies caught my eye and I knew I had found my Valentine’s dinner favors. Pink and fun for the ladies, dark and manly with pops of red for the gents. Now, how should I package them…

Festive but not too Valentine specific.

Tonight was this month’s GNO (Girls Nigh Out) dinner and the winning locale this time was East Village’s own Zombie Burger (also tasted here). While I have been there before a few times, I forgot how much I love their Planet Terror burger. Mmmmm, I can still taste the BBQ and bacon.

Highly recommend the side salad - they are HUGE and delish.

I can’t say enough good things about Target. I mean, I’m pretty much there at least once a week. It’s my happy place. I love to wander the aisles aimlessly even if I don’t need to buy anything in particular. And it is no secret that I have been obsessed with their collaborations with high-end designers for quite some time now. Anyone remember Isaac Mizrahi? I still wear skirts and dresses from his collections in the past.

Target recently announced that it’ll be leaving behind their Go International branding in favor of something new that’ll allow them to encompass all opportunities for collaboration, not just clothing. Much like the Missoni for Target line that people went crazy for (me included) that had everything from zig-zag tights to colorful tumblers.

More details on that should be coming out very soon, but until then, Target is distracting us with its next designer collab that hits stores February 5 – Jason Wu for Target. The lookbook just dropped today and I can’t wait to get my hands on a piece or two. Here are a few of my faves:

P.S. Major bonus points if anyone knows what movie I am referencing in my blog post title.

Posted in Fashion, Friends, Local Spots | Tagged burgers, collaborations, favors, Girls Night Out, socks, Valentine's Dinner | 1 Comment

Can I ask a favor?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

More cheese please update: I didn’t quite make it to the cheese party but I’m sure it was a fab (Ok, full disclosure, I was going to say “it was a goud-a time” but thought that would be too “cheesy” – sorry I had to do it!) time. Instead I spent most of the weekend with this little ham.

Bean loves the bath. She does NOT like getting out though.

I also managed to find some time yesterday to work on the Valentine dinner invite. What do you think? Still needs a few tweaks, but I’m liking the looks of it.

Love me some chevron.

Now on to deciding on the favors, which is on my list of to-dos this week. I have been scouring Pinterest (of course) on a hunt for the perfect V-day favor. Last year we went with heart-shaped wine stoppers, so I want something completely different this time around. Here are some top contenders:

Banana Republic, Heart socks, $10.50

Williams-Sonoma, Heart Cookie Cutter Set, $10

West Elm, Heart Mug, $6

Crate&Barrel, Belgian Dark Sipping Chocolate, $4.95

Posted in Family, Holidays, Parties | Tagged Bean, favors, hearts, Invitations, Valentine's Dinner | 4 Comments

More cheese please

Posted on January 6, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Love letters update: Uh, yeah….I didn’t make it to the letter writing/champagne sipping event. But what I did do instead was start brainstorming about the second annual Valentine’s dinner that we will be hosting again this year. Do you remember last years “Big Night”-themed fete? I am at the beginning of the planning process so most of my focus is on the invitations (last years), tablescape and favors. I’ll leave the meal planning to the gents.

I am having a serious chevron moment right now. Just ask Marcus – he knows all about my obsession. I blame it on spending too much time on Pinterest and reading one too many design blogs. Anywho, I’m thinking about incorporating a little chev (that’s what I like to call it for short – not to be confused with the cheese) into my design.

The more chevron the better.

Speaking of cheese, tomorrow is the “grand opening/thank you for already visiting us” celebration for a great local spot, The Cheese Shop. (Raved about before here.) If you haven’t been, I highly suggest stopping by tomorrow for a little free taste of the good stuff along with a sip of bubbly. I promise once you’ve been there you’ll be counting down the days until you can go back.

"I've been eating a lot of cheese for some reason. I don't know what it is, I got a craving for the stuff. Do you think maybe that's an allergy?" - Uncle Buck

Posted in Local Spots, Parties | Tagged cheese, chevron | Leave a comment

Love letters

Posted on January 4, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Twenty twelve update: Four days into the New Year and I’d say I’m doing quite well with my resolution to hit the gym and work on my fitness, but the homemade cinnamon rolls that my co-worker brought in the other day are sure tempting me. Stay strong Nicole, stay strong!

Just say no!

Tonight I headed over to Terrace Hill for a little Pampered Chef party that my mother-in-law was hosting for my sister-in-law’s mom. I’d never been to one of these before, but some of the stuff that we received as wedding gifts came from here so I thought I’d give it a whirl. Seeing as how Marcus is the chef of the house, I first asked him if there is anything he “needed” to which he responded, “#2578 garlic peeler and slicer set $19.50.” So my purchase was pretty easy!

I steered clear of the sweets table... though it was very tempting.

There is a super cute event tomorrow at the paper shop, Ephemera (I’ve mentioned them here before), down in the East Village that I am dying to attend. I just love the idea and the description:

a whole bunch of love letters. and a few surprises.

stop by ephemera.
snack on aphrodisiacs.
sip some champagne.
send a love letter.

Simple, cute and perfect for a sweet little paper shop downtown. If you are free and live in the area, you should go! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner…

Posted in Local Spots, Parties | Leave a comment

Twenty twelve

Posted on January 2, 2012 by tomorrowstodos

Dress to impress update: A few days before the new year we spent a little time out in the sticks for our first annual Boone Retreat. It was nice just to get out-of-town for a spell and relax by the fire. Oh, and we even hit the slopes – my first time on skis in over 20 years. Classic.

Boone Retreat 2011

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne! Happy New Year everyone!

Raucous before the Caucus at the World Food Prize Building

And since today was the last day before our long Christmas break comes to an end, we decided to treat ourselves this morning with a little French breakfast from Tartine.

Tartine, 12695 University Avenue, Clive

Resolutions, resolutions – where to start. This year, my main goal is to get (and stay) in shape. It all starts out tomorrow, the first day back to work in the new year. Both Marcus and I are vowing to eat healthier and workout more often. I’ll even go one step further to say that I would like to get to the point this year where I actually enjoy running. I know this may take some time, but I think 2012 is the year. I better start stretching now because I’m sure I’ll be a hurtin’ after tomorrow’s workout. But a good thing to remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Posted in Family, Holidays, Local Spots, Parties, Restaurants, Workout | Tagged New Year's Eve | 1 Comment

Dress to impress

Posted on December 30, 2011 by tomorrowstodos

Hello (soon to be) 2012 update: I have my new calendar filled in and ready to go for another year of fun and memories. It is oh-so-colorful and perfect!

Looking forward to a memorable 2012!

Now that the calendar has been secured it is time to think about more important 2012 issues – such as what one should wear to a fabulous New Year’s Eve party that they are going to tomorrow. I know, kind of last minute of me, but I am still working on the final look.

If I had more time, I would try to track down one of these beauties…

Alex Evenings, Taffeta Dress with Jeweled Belt, $78

T Tahari, 'Breydan' Jeweled Ponte Knit Sheath Dress, $93.90

Kate Spade, Mademoiselle dress, $237

Jessica Simpson, Velvet Batwing Dress, $29.99

Posted in Fashion, Holidays | Tagged New Year's Eve | Leave a comment

Hello (soon to be) 2012

Posted on December 29, 2011 by tomorrowstodos

I love you mom update: We had such a nice time with my mom celebrating her birthday. We had a family dinner at Sam & Gabes, which I haven’t been to in awhile, but thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Chocolate and Roasted Banana gelato for dessert. YUM!

2012 is days away and the one thing I have to have in place for the upcoming year is a new wall calendar for work. In the past I have ordered an art calendar from the MoMA Store, but last year my mom got me one from Paper Source instead and I loved it. On my to-do list for tomorrow: filling in the new year!

Still in need of a new calendar? I love these:

1. Paper Source, 2012 DIY Calendar, $8.95
2. Uncommon Goods, On This Day Perpetual Calendar, $25
3. CB2, 365 Calendar, $19.95
4. Kate Spade, 2012 Wall Calendar, $20
5. Uncommon Goods, Bubble Calendar, $20
6. MCA Chicago Store, Animal Calendar, $19.95
7. Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar, 2012 Calendar, $45

Posted in Family, Local Spots | Tagged 2012, calendars | Leave a comment