Mad For Plaid

One of my favorite designers ever, Amy Meier, just posted her new nursery this week. I LOVE it! Here are some images via her blog.



What really stood out to me is that awesome large buffalo check rocker. I'm a big fan of buffalo check furniture. I was going to reupholster the current settee I have in my office in it, but have decided on a small sectional instead.

There are some great large scale buffalo check fabrics on Premier Prints. They aren't quite as large as the one Amy used though.. the repeat is 5 3/8" Horizontal by 6 1/8" Vertical.









All the above fabrics (and more) are here.

I have also had this image saved:



Just ignore the Christmas trees ;)

And I'm sure you've seen the J.Crew buffalo check shirts around the fashion blogs, too.

[ via What I Wore ]

Pretty

My life and head are full right now, but there is always room for pretty and inspirational.
















All images are from here except for the last picture which is here (I recently ordered it. haha)

Fresh Striped Bathroom

The striped bathroom has been done many times before.. but I was excited to see a couple pictures of the striped bathroom Tobi Fairley did in the new Hampton Design Showhouse by Traditional Home. It feels very "fresh" to me. I love the colors!

[ via ]

[ via ]

I love the use of huge, fat stripes in the small space. I think I'll be using this treatment in my own striped bathroom.

And speaking of... MIL is here for a visit and I had planned on painting the bathroom with her. But unfortunately (and fortunately) I'm so busy the project is being postponed. Instead I'll be taking some breaks from work and we'll be finishing up some small little not-so-fun things that have been on my "to do" list for a while.

Charlotte & Her Chair

I had to share this picture with you guys... this is officially "Charlotte's Chair". She loves to sit here with her head perched like so and watch the world go by.



I had to put a black throw on the chair because she would get the arm so dirty with her cute little chin. ha!

And as you can see, I finally got on the Instragram bandwagon.

Making The Most of What You Have

Do you guys read Jess Contstable's blog Makeunder My Life? She's a jewelry designer and writes a great blog about living life with intention. I started reading it years ago and can really connect with it.




Jess asked me to be a part of a new series about living with intention. There are different categories.. finance, health, etc. I was chosen to be the "home" category. I jumped on the opportunity because it's a subject I'm passionate about.

Today I wrote about making the most with what you have. This is something I do daily whether it be with my own home or my clients' homes. I think it's a subject that rings true especially in this economy that is not getting any better.

One example of "making the most of what you have" is how I had to use our old sleigh bed that is not my style anymore. But truth is we simply didn't have the budget to get a new one. And you know what? It's okay.. I still love our bedroom and someday we will get a new bed. But not now.






CLICK HERE to go read the article.

Pretty Purples

I'm running around today but I wanted to stop by to share with you these fabulous purple lamps I recently saw at........ wait for it....... TARGET!



I don't know which one I like better... the wine colored glass "ombre" one on the left or the gray/purple ceramic one with the tie dye shade. Kudos, Target!

A really great IKEA hack

Lately I've been searching for the perfect dark gray sofa for a client. We're on a budget and currently my top contender is the Karlstad from IKEA:


This sofa has a really great shape and design for the price tag, which is only $499! It's also pretty comfortable given the price tag ;) This particular room is the formal living room; we'll be spending more on a higher quality sofa for the TV room where my client spends most of her "lounging" time.

Anna from Door Sixteen has this same sofa and it looks great in her space:



Young House Love has the huge sectional:



But I recently came across something that made me really excited. Check out this amazing Karlstad hack!



The couple from the blog Our Mid Century had the all cushions on their gray Karlstad tufted! Doesn't it look amazing?

I'm 99% sure this is the route we are going with for my client's sofa. I'll also be getting some fabulous new legs. Even after customizing the Karlstad, I'm estimating the entire sofa to still cost around $600. It's near impossible to find a good looking sofa for that price. And that just means more budget for amazing art, fabrics and accessories.

I will be sure to share the transformation when we bite the bullet!

My Fall Fashion Round Up

It's about this time every year that I start getting super excited for fall. Fall is my FAVORITE season!!

I've already started making a list of fall fashion items I need for my closet. Nothing too crazy, but staples that will help round out my wardrobe.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

As I get older I've started to understand my style and I've been trying to only go for pieces that fit it. In the past I went the trendy route but ended up feeling stupid in certain clothes. Putting together fabrics and textures for home comes naturally to me but I'm not going to lie - I really struggle with my clothes. What I've learned works for me clothing-wise is classic, simple pieces. Examples via my Pinterest:









I've also decided to start wearing my glasses more. My favorite glasses are the ones I linked to above from Zenni.

What is on your wish list for fall? (Bonus points for links!)

Affordable Art

Some beautiful (and affordable art) for you on this lovely Friday... have a great weekend!

All pieces can be found HERE.

Quick & Easy DIY

This little project was sooo easy and painless but turned out really beautiful. It actually exceeded my expectations!

I've been working on the home office for one of my clients. She works from home so the office must be super functional. I decided to have two desks for her - a "work" desk for her 9 to 5 and her "life" desk for everything else.

For her "work" desk, this was our inspiration:



I went with these elements from IKEA to "build" her desk:

1, 2, 3

When I purchased the top, I knew I would have to stain it to achieve the same look as the inspiration picture. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find the desk top to be in it's completely natural state - no sanding was required!! Hence the "quick and easy" part of this DIY.

I pre-treated the wood with this:



I then used this stain:



The color is "Early American" and the little can is more than enough for this project. I used two coats and followed the instructions on the can.

Once the stain was completely dry, I used two coats of this (again, following the instructions on the can):



I used satin because I just wanted that subtle glow, like well-oiled wood. I'm not a huge fan of gloss on wood.

And here is how it turned out - very similar to the inspiration picture!





I snapped this picture last week after putting together the desk storage pieces:



I'll be bringing their top over later today :)

Cleaning Out My Closet

Lately I've been trying to update my closet and when I bring something in, I like something to go out. I usually just donate to Goodwill, but these are some pieces that you guys may be interested in!

All items have no rips or tears, smoke free home. Click on the Paypal button if you'd like to purchase. I set shipping at $5 for all items.

Mossimo Black Tie Waist Top - Size Small

This top is so cute and flattering on, but unfortunately I need a size Medium instead of a size small. The sleeves are pretty tight on me. The sleeves roll up and button into cuffs.

SOLD

Banana Republic Tunic - Size Small

A really cute Banana Republic tunic, but again it is too small for me. Sorry I didn't iron it!

SOLD

Vintage Boys Tuxedo Top - Fits like a Women's Small or XS

I'm bummed to be selling this top.. it's soooo cute on, I always got compliments wearing it. But it's a tad too small for me. I got it in Brooklyn at a thrift store, it's a vintage little boys top. It has a little peter pan collar. So cute!
SOLD

The Limited Black Dress - Size 4

Another piece I'm sad to be selling, but truth be told it hasn't fit me since college ;) It's the perfect little black dress and was sooo flattering. It's just a bit too snug for me now and would be great on a true size 4 (I'm more of a size 6). It hit me right at the knee, I'm 5'7".

Gray Dress - Size Medium


This is a pretty dress on and fits like a true Medium, but I've only worn it once. I'm a casual girl and I don't really wear dresses too often, so I've decided to sell it! The color in the picture is deceiving, it's gray in person.

SOLD

I'd like to preface the next items by saying I am "leggy". I have thick(er) thighs and legs than most women. Most of these pants seem to fit way smaller than the size marked on me, but if you have thin hips and legs then they may fit you if you are the size marked. I am normally a size 6 and wear size 28 or 29. Just an FYI!

Lands End Canvas Skinny Jeans - Size 29 **Fits like a 27**


These jeans are so cute. They are called the "super slim" style and that they are. Although they fit me, they are way too tight for my comfort. I normally wear a 28 and sometimes 29. I recommend getting these if you are a 26 or 27. They are really long and I always wore them cuffed. Really cute with flats!!

Seven For All Mankind Casual Jeans - Size 28 **Fits like a 26**


These jeans are the perfect weekend jeans!! I used to wear them a lot in college, but they were a bit snug on me then. They definitely don't fit me anymore even though I do still wear 28s sometimes. They fit much smaller, maybe like a 26? They don't have any stretch to them. They are completely authentic. I stated no clothing has rips or holes but these obviously do.. they came like that ;)

Seven For All Mankind Bootcut Jeans - Size 28 **Fits like a 26**


Same drill as the previous jeans, super super cute.. got them in college but they were snug on me then and don't fit me now. They also don't have any stretch to them. They would be so cute with a white button down shirt and some boots. Authentic.

True Religion Jeans - Size 28 **Fits like a 26**


Again, bought these in college, they were a bit snug then and don't fit now (I LOVED designer jeans in college haha). They are a really cute flare style and would be great with some boots. Fits small like the others!

Nude Heels F21 Brand - Size 8 **Fits like an 8.5**


I normally wear a size 8 shoe, and that is what these are marked. But when I wear them my feet slip out of them. So I recommend purchasing if you are a size 8.5 or maybe even a narrow 9. I don't know about you but I am OBSESSED with nude heels lately! I wish these fit.

SOLD

Black Coach Purse

My sweet husband (then boyfriend) bought me this purse, I'm sad to be selling it. I carry around so much crap now that I no longer use it. It's a somewhat small bag. It's completely authentic!

Let me know if you guys like this...I can definitely do it more often because I like to clean out my closet often! I tried to price everything fairly so you could get a good deal.