All posts by Beth Dotolo

The Splendid List :: Giving Back

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the splendid list, giving back

For this Splendid List, I wanted to show some love to some local foundations that bloggers support. I have been having trouble raising funds for my foundation… It’s my 6th year raising funds for my favorite little girl Violet and it hasn’t been easy on the tails of the Japan crisis. So, I thought I’d help highlight some local foundations… If you see anything that tugs at your heartstrings, please donate. Even $5 these days is helpful.

Ultraviolet, cystic fibrosis foundation, violet dixon

Blogger: Beth (ME) of Hello, Splendor

Charity: Team UltraViolet for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

About: This cause is nearest and dearest to my heart! Violet’s Daddy plays bass in El Gato (my hubby’s band), and Mommy heads up Lovie. Violet has Cystic Fibrosis & each year we band together to fight to find a cure for this amazing girl. Please donate to help find a cure for Violet. It’s hard to watch a girl with such spirit go through so much struggle each day, and keep her smile. It would mean more to me than you know.

How You Can Help: Donate!

 

hope rains, anna elder

Blogger: Anna of And Everything Nice

Charity: Hope Rains

About: It is our mission to give women HOPE and to save lives.  We believe Jeannette’s experience can help many women with similar health issues receive the care and support necessary for recovery and remission. Read more about Jeanette.

How You Can Help: Click here for all the ways you can help

 

Blogger: Danielle of Elleinad Spir

Charity: The Maddie James Foundation

About: I first learned about Maddie and her family from a close friend who is part of their family. Since first reading about her, not a day has gone by that I have not thought about her. As a parent, once my son turned 2 I kind of let out a big sigh. It felt like we had made it. He had reached a “durable” stage. Learning about Maddie, who was diagnosed this January (age 5) with a malignant, inoperable brain tumor known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, was a reminder to me that life is always fragile, and that we need to appreciate and enjoy it, always. Following Maddie and her family has also shown me how strong people can be. I am in awe of the strength this family is showing, and forever touched by the love and togetherness they are giving their sweet daughter during this time. Beyond all of that, I am extremely happy to see this project grow, and I hope one day to visit the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center. I know Bonham will love exploring the ocean as much as Maddie.

*Editor’s Note: Sadly, Maddie passed away on March 13th.

How You Can Help: Donate!

 

I know everyone gives back in their own way, but I hope this moved at least one person to donate.

 

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a little piece of me…

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor

steven visneau, the green spot, little bean

green spot, dolls

sprinkles cupcakes truck, the dallas flea

sprinkles cupcake truck, red velvet cupcakes

franki durbin, life in a venti cup, little bean, hello splendor

ugly face

Kalachandji's Palace & Restaurant

wildcat, cibus

jon burgmeier, cibus, it's invigorating

carolina gentry, library

facetime for iphone

With the change to wordpress and everything else going on, I haven’t shared a little piece of me in a couple of weeks… here are some photos for your monday enjoyment! All via my iphone & my instagram app.

How has the start to your week been??

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links: little bean | the green spot | sprinkles cupcakes | the dallas flea | franki durbin of life in a venti cup | the pearl cup | kalachandji’s | betsy of it’s invigorating | carolina of pulp design studios

Hello, Splendor is all grown up…

News + Announcements

blogger vs wordpress

Well, hardly! But, I did upgrade the site… Last week I moved Hello, Splendor from blogger to wordpress! A lot of people have been asking why. Well, there are a few reasons that were important to me:

  1. I wanted complete ownership of my content.
  2. I wanted to do more with Hello, Splendor down the road & add more pages for growth in the future.
  3. Most importantly, I wanted to be able to interact more with those of you who are reading & commenting.

So, I brought in Kendall of Blogs by Kendall. Let me tell you, this girl knows what she’s doing. I could not be more pleased with the process & with the end result. The transfer was seamless!

Here’s what’s different:

blogger to wordpress switch

So, tell me!

What do you think?? Do you like it? Do you miss the old format?

Feel free to practice your commenting & adding your Gravatar below!

 

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Image via: Say Yes To Hoboken!

pet costumes: do or don’t?

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor

Hello, lovelies!  As you know, Halloween is right around the corner…which for some means picking out a costume.  It had me thinking:  Are pet costumes cute or cliche?  Although the images above (via) all make me chuckle…I mean, seriously…the sailor?  hippie?  (Nice afro, btw.)  Is it too much?  My dog Tucker says Y-E-S!  I tried to dress him up last year, which he hated.  In an effort to keep him festive he’ll be sporting a Halloween themed tee.

So, what do you think?  Are pet costumes a ‘DO’ or “DON’T”?  Will you be dressing your pet up this year?

xo,
Kelly
fabulous k

martha stewart pets

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor
Hello, lovelies!  Kelly here with another post for your modern pet.  Today, we’re talking Martha!

I first came across the (new) Martha Stewart Pets line via her show.  Since it’s from Martha, I knew it would be fabulous so I headed to PetSmart to check it out.  The line combines cuteness, affordability and durability; all things I look for in pet products.  I went home with the 3 piece bowl set in blue as well as the eggplant crochet squeaky toy (Tucker’s absolute favorite right now.)  I was not sure the toy would hold up since it’s crochet, but it’s taken quite the beating and is still all one piece.  On my next trip I plan on picking up some of the grooming items as well a leather leash, harness + collar.  Check out the entire Tucker-approved line here.  It’s so very Martha, and that’s a good thing.

xo,
Kelly
Fabulous K

DC sounds good to me…

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor
So, this new Real Housewives season in DC got me thinking about what a great place Washington DC is to travel to. I don’t think it typically rises to the top of the list when dreaming about your next get away but let me prove my point why this place is a no brainer for a great trip.

  1. FREE…. Let’s face it we all love free during these recession chic times, and this town in full of it. Ok, well kind of, thanks to our hard earned tax dollars at work Washington is an open door when it comes to museums, botanical gardens, public land marks, and the list goes on and on.  
  2. Great people watching. This place is a true melting pot from people across the globe. From fanny packs to three piece suits you will never grow tired of the crowd in DC.
  3.  Wonderful Hotels. This town is full to the brim with great places to stay for every budget. I will never forget the first time my parents took me to Washington for Christmas and we stayed in a spectacular suite at the Mayflower hotel, the place is full of history.
  4. History and lots of it. Literally around every corner there is a piece of American history that can awe and inspire and even make you feel a little patriotic.
  5. Georgetown. Why ? Because there is no place like it. The old brick buildings with rows and rows of amazing shops and restaurants, not to mention the Ritz Carlton that transformed a historic incinerator into the coolest hotel in the city complete with 130 foot high smokestack still in tack. Georgetown is old but eternally youthful due to the influx of university students and young policy makers making this the place to see and be seen.
Happy Trails,
The Cashmere Cowboy

Martha?… No, Marfa.

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor
Hello Splendorites, I just got back from my first trip to Marfa, Texas and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Allow me to share all the incredible sights with you on these very unique and uncommon southwest towns.

T or C, NM

The trip began with the long but music and talk radio filled (thanks to Sirius XM) journey to Truth or Consequences, NM. This town is a quirky little town that dates back to the late 1800’s as a hot springs town. Today it is a refuge for many amazing artists and musicians. 

Stay: Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa – 1920’s Natural Hot springs hotel lovingly restored by NYC natives
Eat: Little Sprout Market  – Great lunch and Juice bar 
See: Fernando Mercado – Amazing artist who will invite you into his studio to drewl over is incredible art

On to Marfa…
Here is where the trip gets interesting… We pack up and start towards Marfa passing through the lovely border town of El Paso, Tx. We get approximately 10 miles out side of town when the car abruptly shows me on the display that the tire is rapidly losing tire pressure…. An hour later and making a new friend named Jose from roadside assistance we make our way back to El Paso for a tire. The travel gods spoke and we were unable to get the “special” tire we needed that day leaving us to brave this town for an evening. We survived and made it to Marfa the next day. Here is what made this place a must see….

Prada installation
Stay: Hotel Paisano – 1930’s Hacienda Style hotel famous for accommodating the cast of the movie Giant while on location. Stay in the original rooms that Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, or James Dean stayed in. You wont be disappointed. 
Eat: Cochineal – inviting and minimal with the best meal we had on the trip – order everything
The Get Go  – small but very well appointed market, the Dean and Deluca of West Texas

the get go
2d Marfa
See: 2D Gallery – If you are looking for a special piece of artwork go see Dennis at 2d. I really could have gone home with every item in the gallery
chinati foundation
Chinati Foundation – Donald Judd’s vision to create a home and living studio for installations of large scale contemporary artwork. A must see!
arber & sons
Arber and Sons – Some of the nicest people we met while on our trip, they invited us in their studio on their off day to show us their collaboration between Arber & Son Editions and visiting artists-in-residence at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa. This studio space is filled to the brim with some of the most incredible limited edition lithographs you will ever find. Stop in to see all the wonderful things Robert and Valerie are doing with this innovative project.


This trip should be on your bucket list, not the easiest place travel to but if you are like me you will fall in love and begin planning your next trip back before you even leave. 


-GWJ 
Cashmere Cowboy

molly mutt

Uncategorized, vintage hello splendor
Hello, lovelies! I’m so excited to bring you my very first Hello, Splendor contributor post on all things pets! 
Now, first things first…I’m Kelly, the blogger behind Fabulous K & the designer behind Fabulous K Creative.  I have a sweet little Border Terrier named Tucker, whom I rescued from a local animal shelter about a year and a half ago. He’s a pretty cool pup, which means I buy pretty cool things for him. It should be mentioned my pet posts will not be about clothes for dogs, or any animals for that matter. It’s just not my thing. (Don’t get me wrong…it can be adorable…just not on my dog.) Instead, I’ll be blogging about brands that make your pet’s life better but in a fun modern way. That brings me to my first find: Molly Mutt.
I’ve been a fan of Molly Mutt for quite some time. They’re a fabulous pet bed company that also happen to be eco friendly, which I adore. Instead of having a bed full of who knows what, they sell dog duvets that you stuff with your own old item (blankets, pillows, clothes) into one of their “stuff sacks”.  Insert the sack into the duvet and you’ve got an instant pet bed.  I have 2 Molly Mutt beds for Tucker, which he loves. My absolute favorite thing about them is they are 100% machiene washable; a must if you ask me. Not only that, but they look great as well.
Be sure to check out the whole selection of Molly Mutt products on their site, including their cat beds & new Molly Mutt clean line (which I’m dying to try!) You & your little four-legged friends will not be disappointed.

xo,
Kelly
Fabulous K