Pretty Things: Fall Favorites

The cold rain finally came and with it out went my motivation.  We leave tomorrow for a retreat in Charlottesville and I should be running around, doing laundry, packing and cleaning and preparing for our road trip. But here I am, snuggled up with a blanket on the couch waiting for the sun to come back. I also attribute the fact that I woke up this morning to make coffee and much to my horror, we were out of k-cups. Goodbye cruel world, kill me now. I'm not sure how I'll make it through the day let alone get anything done. Something I can do without coffee is make a list of all the pretty things I've been seeing for fall. I'm about ready to retire all my summer clothes and ready to stock up on blankets and boots to get me through this season as gracefully as possible.

1. Bandolino Calliope Riding boots 99.95

I love a good cognac colored boot. These have enough of a heel to feel fun and flirty but are short and solid enough to use every day.

1. Coeur Pullover-158

I love a good graphic print, but add the softness of cashmere and angora and I'm likely to never take off my new favorite sweater.

3. buttermilk biscuit cardigan-168

I'm channeling my inner 90s cable knit, grungy flower chid with this sweater. But it just looks so incredibly cozy, I can picture wearing this on the warmer days with a dress and boots and being perfectly fashionable and not completely freezing.

4. pumpkin stuffed with everything good

I have all sorts of sweet pumpkin recipes in my arsenal, the one thing I am missing is a savory pumpkin recipe that I would actually enjoy. Pumpkin is something I'd like to embrace for dinner but most of the recipes seem a little to exotic for my simple palate. This has bacon and cheese so there's really nothing more to talk about.

5. heirloom variety needle felt pumpkins-17.50

Needle felting is still one of those things I long to learn. With so many adorable, tiny little things to make, Fall is ever more the reason for me to learn how!

Pretty Things: Spring Outfits

So I try to be as utilitarian as I can on this blog, but occasionally I just have to be a total girl and talk about all the pretty things we, as girls, have available to us!

If you couldn't tell from my last post, we've got about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground here in Northern Virginia, but the sun is out and that's good enough for me to start daydreaming about warmer weather!

I've composed a list of pretty spring clothes and accessories from my all-time favorite, Anthropologie.  Spring is one of my favorite seasons for fashion simply because you can begin shedding all those layers of sweaters and socks and get ready for fresh air, flowers and plenty of sunshine. It's also a time for color to uplift us from the abyss of black and grey and brown that everyone seems to fall into when the first frost bites at our noses. It's time for light, airy, breezy cotton. Sandals and espadrilles. Floppy hats and flowy skirts. Spring is right around the corner and it's buzzing with life and energy. So here are my top 5 picks from Anthro for expanding your spring wardrobe and letting the sunshine in!

1. Whitmarsh Aptus Dress-$268. This is the splurge item on the list. I do believe that you can and should splurge on a couple main items for your wardrobe that you can use forever and pair with many different less expensive items. The thing I love about this dress is the oh-so-fun pattern, like someone just doodled it right on the dress! The awesome thing about dresses is that a lot of people don't know how versatile they really are when cutting them up into layers. You can wear a sweater over the top portion and treat the bottom as a skirt or you could tuck the skirt into a pair of jeans and voila! You've got a new shirt!

2. Paisley Trails Tee-$88. also available in a gorgeous gray with an orange, ivory and blue pattern! What I love about this dress is also it's versatility. I can see this paired with a skirt and sandals on a breezy day at the park.  But can also be buttoned up and paired with a blazer. I love the light, flowy material that can transition right into summer.

3. Sanoh Gauze Skirt-$148. I absolutely adore this color! It's everything that a good ankle-length skirt should be. Plenty of light gauzy fabric, a subtle pattern and that bright tangerine color that changes and otherwise very bland outfit. I like how this skirt can also be worn throughout the season. A nice picnic skirt in spring, a good beach cover in summer and great paired with boots for the fall. 

4. Ayden Sandals-$148. Can I talk about how much I love mint for a second? Anything in a shade of pale blue or green I am totally in love with at the moment. So aside from being that gorgeous mint shade, they have the perfect little heel that elongates your legs but is still comfortable enough to actually walk in.  I've had some painful heeled sandals and wedges and let me tell you, never ever again! These are cute, chic and easy to walk in. The fun tassel in the back is a nice touch and draws attention to that fab new pedicure you'll be rocking! 

5. Kerchief Cut Pouch-$78. I LA-HOVE this pale rose color with that beautiful floral cut-out pattern.  It's so pretty but basic enough to go with almost any outfit.  Pouches are such a great alternative for purses. Especially in spring when you'll be out and about shopping and enjoying the weather. I like to ditch the huge sack that weighs a million pounds, or leave it in the car. I keep the essentials with me: keys, ID and credit card, cash, lip balm and extra hair ties. I also need something large enough to fit my inhaler and this one being almost 10" wide is plenty big enough and plus it zips closed so I know none of my important items will fall out.

So there you have it! My spring picks that will hopefully usher in some warmer weather. You hear that mother nature? I'm shopping for spring, let's get it together and turn the heat on! 

Pretty Things: World Market with pops of color!

So I'm sure with all the posts I've made recently you can gather that we have a new home and therefore a lot more space to furnish and decorate. This is one of my favorite things in the world! Decorating, planning, prepping and making things looks nice is one of my favorites! I know that making a dinner party look fancy isn't the biggest priority in the world but it makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, can't that be enough? ; )

Today my pretty things post is from one of the places I used the shop while we were in Fairfax all. the. time, World Market. The problem was, with a tiny little condo, there wasn't much for me to furnish! The fantastic thing about World Market, however, is that they don't just sell furniture! In fact, I've purchased, jewelry, gift bags, wine and nutella from World Market! Now you understand why I am so in love!

We still have the couch, dining chairs, rug, console table, laundry room items, duvet covers and more set to be delivered this week and next so I'm waiting a bit on any other large purchases to see how the space comes together so far. I guess because of the grey weather we've been having, I've been in color overdrive lately and that is certainly reflected in my post today!  Here are some pretty (and pretty colorful) things for my wish-list from World market that I'd like to fill our home with in the upcoming weeks!


1. Formula One Red Classic Adirondack Chair-$99.99

Now don't get me wrong, this color would not be my first choice. They have a light teal option that is of course my favorite color of all time. But our house is red and black and white so getting these in red will probably be my only choice of color pop once we install a deck or for the front porch. I think our style of house is just begging for a good adirondack chair!

2. Telescope Accent Lamp Base-$39.99

I've been going all out on the rustic vibe for our main living area and dining room. Besides the couch I'm using an old trunk as a side table and I think this would look glorious atop it next to a pretty vase of flowers or a few Martha Stewart magazines. I also love that for just $40, I can pick out any shade from the variety of shades they have there to top this beauty off and add my pop of color there. Did someone say light teal?

3. Green Velvet Plum Blossoms, set of 2-$15.98

The other one of my favorite colors to decorate with is pale yellow. I think it's bright enough to use as an accent color in combination with almost any other warm, neutral or cool color scheme. But it's also soft and feminine enough to use in large statement pieces like a settee, curtains or a patterned area rug.  These would look quite nice on the floor in a large white trellis style vase, or atop the mantle in a tall, skinny apple green vase.

4. Red Ikat Print Burlap Throw Pillow-$24.99

don't even, I mean do not get me started on pillows and throws.  I can't be left alone in those aisles when out shopping.  I am a sucker for blankets (since I'm always snuggling with one in bed, on the couch, in the car *did I say car?* I love what a colorful throw pillow can do for a room. Have you tried just changing out your pillows throughout the seasons? It makes a world of difference, I tell you! The thing I love about this pillow, other than it's brilliant pattern and colors is that it's made of burlap. Burlap is one of my favorite materials because it can really tone down a space. If this pillow was a satiny, shiny finish it would look like something straight out of the 90s movie, Clueless. But the burlap makes this pillow appropriate for 2013, although I might not be able to wait until summertime to pick up a couple of these!

5.  Aqua and Gold Fan Necklace-$16.99

Ok so maybe I cheated a little bit. This is quite clearly not an item for the home. But I just had sneak in a bit of teal in this countdown and with this beauty on the homepage of the website, taunting me, calling my name, I just had to add it! Can't I pretend it's like my vacuuming necklace? My power necklace to help me crush all these loads of laundry I have yet to do? Can someone help me convince Shaun that it somehow doubles as a door knocker?

Pretty Things

Things I am loving right now are mainly house-related. Organizational items, furniture, cleaning supplies etc. I have a LOT to do by this weekend so that's my main focus at the moment.

However in my search for furniture and accessories I went to one of my favorite places for home decor, jewelry, and a plethora of pop culture and nerd-related stuffs that make me quite excited, FAB.com If you haven't been to fab yet, you are missing out. You really are.

Fabs mission is to help people with amazing design solutions which is precisely my goal. Every week they have a ton of new sales from different designers (single artists to big companies) and you can get some fantastic original and/or limited edition artwork for your home!

This week I sort of fell in love with these prints by Paper Sparrow. She has amazing music related and whimsical art prints for an equally amazing price. Some of my favorites are below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Sweet Dreams little one 11x14 $18. I don't have any children of my own but how darling would this print look above a crib in a nursery?

2. Narwhal's Aquarelle 11x14 $18 Being a redditor, I'm automatically connected to anything Narwhal or bacon related so this sweet print of a narwhal playing a banjo in the water is quite the perfect print.

3. Not All Who Wander are Lost 13x19 $23 I don't know if it's the hippie in me or feathers are just a thing now but I love these colorful avian things so much. Also a fan of the Tolkien quote, of course, but I really like the design aesthetic she used in the theme of the poster.

4. Arctic Fox 11x14 $18 The warm yellows and blues of this print give it such a great vintage vibe. I'd love to put this anywhere in my house but I think it would look particularly great in a living room or family room!

5. Climb Every Mountain 13x19 $23 This print is perfect since I climb (although not as much as I used to) It would also make a great gift for any of my climbing girls.

I know I'm supposed to be focusing on house things and furniture and paint and cleaning and keeping my budget down since I won't be working for a few weeks but I might just have to get a few of these beauties. It's not like it's a total random purchase, it is for the house after all! ; )

Pretty Things

Can you tell that I catch up on my blogging on Sundays?

Since I've been in crazy house hunting/painting/decorating mode the past few weeks I wanted to share some of the amazing things I found from my favorite ever furniture store, West Elm. They are like the grown up, unisex furniture version of Anthropologie. I told Shaun the last time we went there (last night) that he could literally buy anything in that store and I would be happy with it.

Since I can't show you the whole store, I've narrowed it down to my favorite few items for people looking to furnish a house or just for some nice accesorries!

1. Glass Terrariums

These pretty glass terrariums have a great metal base to hold them up from a table and give them an elevated, clean look while still remaining organic and beautiful. I can imagine these on the desk in the office, in my craft room, on the mantle or the kitchen window above the sink.  Anywhere you put these beauties they bring a great organic, green feel to your home. $59-$99


2. Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Covers and Shams

I have always loved the scrunchy, pin-tucked look of these type of bed dressings. I love the light grey because it works with almost every type of room from warm colors to neutrals to cools. Light grey is a universal safe color. You can paint that wall anything except neon and it will look elegant, cozy and wonderful.

You wanna know what's even better about this set right now? It's 20% until Monday! Since Shaun won't let me go too frilly for the master bedroom, I may just have to pick these up for the guest room! $19-$111


3. Mid-Century 6-drawer Dresser

This is clearly more of a splurge item. But I really really think a dresser can make or break a room. I love the warm tone of this wood dresser and obviously the mid-century theme of it's styling. The wonderful thing about mid-century pieces (or those that are designed like it) is that they work so well with a vintage or modern themed room. This can easily be dressed up with a shiny metal lamp, statue or mirror to give it a modern feel. It can also be easily paired with vintage pieces to give it a classic, vintage feel. The possibilities really are endless. Also, where you go with a basic, inexpensive bed frame you can build a pallet headboard and stain it to match this piece. This is definitely suited for a master suite. $799

4. Adjustable Metal Floor Lamp

You guys, can we talk about lighting for a second? As much as I think furniture and placement make a room my true belief is that no matter how you style something, anything, the lighting is what can make a room look like a brilliant HGTV designer room or a torture dungeon. Lighting is essential to a rooms decor. If you have a beautifully styled room with no natural light and dim, yellow lamps or even worse, a terrible globe in the middle of the ceiling it will ruin everything.  This lamp is a floor standing unit with clean lines and a wonderful adjustable base so depending on how high your furniture is or at what angle you want the light to come from you can adjust it. Again, these piece works well with classic or modern design and fits perfectly into almost any room in the house. But I would most definitely put this in the living room or entertaining space to show off it's great architectural style. $169

5. ZigZag rug-platinum/ivory/citron

I have been crushing on chevron for quite some time now and so when we decided we were buying a house I figured it was the perfect time to go chevron crazy on every single item I could find.  Shaun, however, does not share my chevron-crazed sentiment so I had to compromise. In my opinion, this rug is a great compromise. It has light, neutral colors that work with any decor with a great pop of yellow at both ends. Great for a family room or living room and it's low pile so cleanup and animal fur are not a problem! $49-$749

Pretty things

In the seemingly exact opposite direction of my last post, I'd like to share with you some items I really truly adore and are in my shopping list for 2013. 

Although I am sticking with my budgets and trying to maintain some self control, these are all items that are not only pretty but functional and useful for my etsy business. 

It just so happens that they are adorable as well. ; )


1. Macbook Air Notebook

This is the big one so I'll start large. Like I stated before, using Shauns laptop for all my blogging, editing, emailing, etsy shop updating etc. gets old fast. My laptop is technically 5 years old now and almost considered vintage (but totally not in a cute way). I should probably be more interested in a Pro due to all the things you can do with it but it's big, bulky and heavier than the air.  I'm not delving into any heavy duty photoshop editing (right now) so as it stands, this seems like a nice option for me. Also, they range from $999-$1499 and that price definitely seems doable for me! Macbook air



2. Green Canvas Camera Bag w/ Shoulder Strap

 Another item I want but do not need that is oh so pretty and very very functional.  I do currently have a camera bag, the one that came with the kit that Shaun bought me with my camera for Christmas. But it is simply functional. It's not neccesarily something I want to carry around town with me while I snap pictures. This? This I would take everywhere. I would take it places I don't even intend to take pictures of just simply because of how adorable it is. This would completely 86 the need for a purse as I can carry my iphone, keys, lipgloss, lenses, notebook and possibly even a laptop within it. How perfect is it? Also, it's on etsy and my goal has been to shop local or handmade as much as possible.  Even if I could not fit a laptop or my big bulky notebook I could always get a small tote or messenger bag for that stuff such as  this one. Or this adorable one. Or this classy one. Or perhaps any of the other ones in the 250 pages of etsy search results! Anyways, I'm getting a bit carried away. The original bag in question is $72 and there are a variety of colors available. I really like the rugged, military look of this one. Plus if I ever go on an African safari I think I'd blend right in.



3. Dalahast Loungers

Ok. I don't need this...at all. But How perfect are they to lounge around in on a snowy day, editing photos, blogging and taking pictures for the etsy shop? Can I somehow code these as a business expense? No? Ok, fair enough. Anthropologie   $39.95



4. 100 parcel gift tags

Ok. Back to business. These gift tags from knot & bow etsy shop would be great to add to clothing and shoes in the shop. Plus a perfect addition to gifts, which I am trying to do more of (creating) this year. She also has ridiculously adorable heart stickers in a variety of colors that I might have to snag as well. $19 for a pack of 100

5. Notebooks

Here we have about a bazillion options. I was going to order one online that really fit my needs but being ever the impatient one I didn't wait to do my research and impulse bought a pretty cute one from walmart. I still think I'll need another one so I've compiled a short list of some of the ones I am digging on etsy right now. So here beings the list.

1. "My New Business" Moleskin notebook-if this doesn't scream perfect for my shop, I don't know what does. This is the perfect size for a little carry along journal I can keep in my bag and note little details on items I am purchasing or selling or even little random ideas that come to mind. $7.43.

2. Einstein mini notebook and pencil set-"Logic will get you from A-Z, imagination will get you everywhere". Although I'm pretty sure the quote is "A-B" it's still an adorable little notebook, perfect for big ideas that I can dream up while sitting in a park having a picnic looking at the different animals in the clouds. $8.

3. Vintage Map Covered Composition Book-There is just something about maps that I absolutely adore. These composition books are no different. Also, I love an upcycled item! $8.

4. Mark Twain Quote Journal-"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Such a beautiful, inspirational quote from one of the greatest. This notebook is beautiful and functional and I love that it's a spiral notebook, it greatly helps my left-handedness! $16.

 I suppose this list got a tad bit out of hand. But I promise to note make any purchases until I've earned it, and I have maintained my goals for 2013.

happy wish listing!