Falls Design

Loving my Rhinoceros bookends!

2012-02-10T11:39:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday! I plan to take a breather and relax this weekend. How about you?

In the meantime, I thought I'd post the cutest thing I found for the nursery so far...

Rhinoceros bookends from Urban Outfitters.

Nursery Progress - 5

2012-02-06T12:01:00.001-05:00

Well...the nursery painting is DONE! We literally painted for two days straight...and I outlasted all non-pregger volunteers :) Ryan says I have more energy now than before I was pregnant!

The stripes were much harder than we had anticipated--but after many touch-ups and touch-ups to the touch-ups they are perfect! A huge thank you to my mom, Ryan, my sister, and her boyfriend who helped make this possible and didn't judge me as I obsessed over every square inch with a fine toothed comb!

Every person I love has helped in some way with this nursery--and it really does make it that much more special.

We still have much to do--the curtain rod just shipped to me so I have to hang the curtains, the brass chandelier, the gold frames...and of course bring in the dresser and glider...but we are getting so close!!!

For the colors I used Benjamin Moore's Bold Blue & Decorator's White--both mixed in Valspar's Zero-VOC Certified "asthma & allergy friendly"™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Love this paint! Benefits include:

Certified "asthma & allergy friendly"™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Dries to an antimicrobial finish
Provides a mold and mildew resistant finish
Uncompromising quality
No lingering odor
Zero VOC

What a beautifully styled closet!

2012-02-01T07:52:00.004-05:00

As Ryan and I try to purge some of our clothes to get closet space ready for the baby, I can not help but dream of a walk-in closet one day. We live in a 50's rambler that I adore, but let me let you in on a little secret...back in the 50's I think people wore a total of 5 outfits--seriously that is all that will fit in each of our closets. I can't believe how small they were built!

And while this closet is totally impractical because if I had a walk-in I would custom build shelves to make every nook and cranny usable, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautifully styled photograph in a Potterybarn catalog!

Seriously, I would love to replicate this look somehow...maybe in my upstairs guestroom? It's already beige...

The collection is called Blacksmith...and I do love the contrast between the wrought iron, distressed wood, and then the beautiful white ottoman and chandelier. Love love love!

Perfect little jewelry tree for guests

I might need to get one of these Blacksmith Wall-Mount Bars with Hooks. This would even be cute to hang photos or frames from!

Nursery Progress - 4

2012-01-31T10:46:00.001-05:00

Yeah the molding is done!!! My contractor did an amazing job--it is exactly what I had envisioned. Seriously if anyone is in the MD/DC/VA area and is looking for a great contractor--email me. He is my "Angel" :)

Tonight, I need to start sanding the wood. And then repainting white (in hindsight we should have probably waited to paint white :) and then this weekend...the stripes go in!

I propped a photo on the shelf to give you an idea of what I plan to do. It will be so nice to lean pictures all around the room so I don't have to worry about hanging photos and I can rearrange easily.

I have also found the perfect brass/gold curtain rod that I'll install this weekend, with the curtains further apart this time. And I bought these beautiful gold frames from Potterybarn which I think I'll wait to add black/white photos of the baby.

9 more weeks to go!

Nursery Progress - 3

2012-01-30T11:01:00.000-05:00

Okay I know I promised some amazing photos...but due to Friday's inclement weather my contractor couldn't install the molding until today. But he's upstairs as we speak making the nursery look AMAZING! Pictures to follow this week.

But my in-laws did come over and help us set up the crib and bookcase. Every time I walk past the room I peek inside to make sure the crib is still there. It feels very "real" with the crib set up!! I love how the black-out curtains look with the rug! I can't wait for stripes on the walls, some frames set up on the shelf molding...and of course in 9 weeks THE BABY!

My New Office...In Progress

2012-01-26T10:58:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday everyone!

I'm so excited the molding in the nursery gets installed tomorrow. We are also going to be putting together the crib and bookcase--so look for big photos on Monday!

In the meantime, last weekend I tried to hack my new office together as best as possible. It's definitely looking better...

I'm loving this Moroccan Trellis Navy Blue Rug I purchased for a steal off of RugsUSA during CyberMonday! It really warms up the whole place. All of the throw pillows and yellow tray are temporary until I buy find some great green pieces.

I think this is the wall I will end up painting green--just to make my desk standout more!

My Ikea bookcase is holding up nicely, although it looks a little rough up close. Now I just need a ton of great finds to fill the bookcase. Thrift stores here I come!

I splurged on a white metalasse duvet and shams from Potterybarn. They are so pretty up close and will really go with whatever colors I pick in the future.

This Ralph Lauren Estate wool blanket was an absolute steal--I found it on clearance for $30 at Marshalls. Amazing! I'm not sure it will stay in my office, but it will definitely find a home.

Especially since I just snagged this great "Bean Sprout" favorite throw from West Elm.

Now I'm thinking I need a trip to The Container Store to score some of these great organizing pieces:

How great is this wall color!! Too bright??

Organizing my closets

2012-01-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday!

This weekend I was super productive. I think I am in total count-down mode now until the baby comes. There is soooooo much to do and so little time...and that's before I'm up every two hours for feedings :)

Sorry quick tangent...do you remember the fabric I picked out for the nursery...well my mom and I were headed to Calico Corners to buy the fabric and make a pillow and crib skirt when we decided to "swing by" Marshall's first...and look what I found!!!!!!!

Yes my EXACT Wilmington fabric from Calico Corners already made into a pillow...and for only $20! Can you believe it? I think they call this divine intervention :) Now all we have to do is make the crib skirt. How amazing does this fabric look against the rug!!!

Okay back to organizing...

I started by cleaning out and organizing all of our upstairs closets. Ever since I got booted from the nursery closet, my extra clothes have been pitifully spread out everywhere in our guest room.

We currently have two hall closets, both dedicated to coats, so I decided to condense into one and move my stuff into the second.

Here is what it looked like before (terrible):

And hidden behind the coats were these EMPTY and amazingly deep shelves that were just sitting unloved! Shame on me! So first I cleared out everything and then I started to organize...you can see all of my extra pillow covers that I started to fold on the second shelf...PS anyone need pillow covers? I seem to hoard these :)

Then I folded all of the scarves I don't wear every day on the third shelf along with my hats (that always seemed so fabulous when I purchased :) Most of these were hanging out in the second closet that I was able to empty.

Then I took all coats we haven't even worn once this year downstairs to store away. I also was able to fit the random cleaning supplies in the basket (along with umbrellas) on the left. Now we only have one "coat" closet with tons of room to spare!

Finally our fav scarves when back up on the hooks and I was done...with one closet!

Next, I put all of my "extra but still wear a lot" clothes into the now-empty second hall closet. I realize having your "things" in a hall closet is not ideal, but this is what happens when you live in a 50's rambler with an expanding family!

Somehow this closet is even smaller than the one in the nursery. And don't pay attention to the shelf above...this will totally change. I still have to add most of my shoe boxes up there and find somewhere else for my every-day bags.

That's right...next I need to tackle my shoes...and three more closets...ahhhhhhhh!

Nursery Progress - 2

2012-01-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! Wow am I glad this week is almost over :)

Here's a sneak peek of the nursery. We have painted the walls white, removed the carpet, refinished the hardwood floors (thanks to AG Floors--amazing) and the Urban Outfitters rug arrived!

Next step is to add the wall molding and then my favorite part--add the navy stripes...stay tuned!

This weekend I have two goals: first is to get all of my clothes & shoe boxes (that got booted from the old office / nursery closet) organized in my new office downstairs--space permitting! My second goal is to possibly finish painting the stairs (with No-VOC paint obviously) since they are looking dire lately.

And finally, and completely off topic, the new Rue issue went live this week. There were some great shopping finds (see below) but overall I was underwhelmed with the design spreads. Oh well you can't blow it out of the water every time...I still adore the pub!

Here are two finds from the RUE mag that I'm loving...

I must get these Container Store bins for the bookcase. How cute and at $10/pop a total steal!

And does this $350 pendant look familiar?

It kind of resembles my $64 brass pendant from Urban Outfitters...

Here are the other shots I love from Rue...

If you are ever wondering how to perfectly style a coffee table...this might be it!

And they featured my hometown, DC, in this issue including some can't miss shops. Read the story in detail here.

Inspiration Board: Allison's Family Room

2012-01-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday!

I wanted to share a new inspiration board I put together for my friend Allison's family room.

Allison already has a great dark brown sofa and two red chairs, so I drew inspiration from those colors. She wants lots of pop in this room so I tried to pick some bold patterns for the throw pillows.

When I was sourcing I tried to give Allison as much storage as I could. First, I want to replace their coffee table with a leather storage ottoman. This is kid friendly, and offers tons of storage. A great modern tray on top will allow you to have magazines, remotes, drinks, still on your coffee table. In the ottoman you can add throws, magazines, toys, etc. I also sourced a great wicker storage cube that could go on the side of their media stand for extra storage.

Above their fireplace, I think a mirror on it would look great! It would bring lots of light and style into the room. I love this mirror because it looks like a paned window. Personally, I am not a fan of plants in rooms...mostly because I can't keep them alive :) but also they don't always look super stylish. Instead I would put some great candles and glass vases with flowers on your fireplace mantle.

I would add two matching floor lamps, one on either side of your fireplace. I like how this adds symmetry...and I think the drum lamp shades create a more modern look.

In between the two red chairs (if space allows) I'd love to put these stackable end tables. This is nice for guests to put their drinks, etc. But it's definitely not necessary if it feels too crowded.

Lastly, I did a ton of research to try and find you the best storage for kids toys possible :) I keep coming back to this stackable cube/bookcase from PB Kids. First, you can't tell that it's from PB Kids (it looks very sophisticated), and you can put up to 10 baskets in these cubes. You will have plenty of storage for toys!

To bring even more dimension to the room...I think we could bring out one of the light browns in the middle paisley fabric...and paint the bottom of the wall separated by the molding (see inspiration pic at bottom right of board).

What I'm loving at West Elm

2012-01-16T11:34:00.001-05:00

Happy MLK Day everyone!

Of course my company doesn't celebrate :) so here I am at work...but at least traffic was manageable!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I stopped into West Elm this weekend and was blown away by all of their unique and utterly spectacular new pieces. West Elm used to have bold graphic patterns that were out of this world--and then they went a little too granola and blah--but boy are they back!

Check out my favorite pieces below...

Cool rustic headboard...

Coffee table that hides so much storage...

Ottoman in super cute fabric

Loving these menswear-inspired bath mats...I might get both to alternate in my bathroom...

Perfect for a guest room dresser

Beautiful rugs! Seriously these patterns are so graphic and would go with anything!!

Bold dish ware...

And napkins...

And last but not least I'm loving this dandelion colored tufted accent chair. So beautiful!

Happy Monday everyone!

Nursery Progress - 1

2012-01-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend...if you are in the DC area I hope you enjoyed the insanely beautiful weather (aka 68 degrees)!

Ryan and I were super productive. We took down our Christmas decorations, had our Potterybarn Kids Glider delivered...and with the help of my parents painted my super dark walled office into a bright white nursery.

But what I'm most excited about are my two great finds from Urban Outfitters!

Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Look Linger Love, I discovered this amazing brass tiered pendant shade for only $64! This will look so cute in the nursery, plus it doesn't hang too low, and at $64 it is so much cheaper than any drum pendant I could find, the $400 Restoration Hardware Baby & Child iron pendant ...and easier than me trying to recreate the Thomas O'Brien Hicks Pendant!

And then I decided to check out the rugs...Urban has always had the chevron patterned rug I've been looking for, but never in orange. Well guess what?!?! They just got it in orange. And at $74 for a 5x7 this already orange/white chevron is cheaper than my mom and I painting an Ikea rug with the chevron pattern. (I'd still like to try out that DIY project because it looks awesome) but my time is running out so I'll happily buy a super cheap already complete rug for now!

So far I'm sticking pretty true to my nursery mood board...

Here is a pic of my new glider...it is soooooo comfortable...thanks to both of our parents who gave this to us!!! (I haven't put the cream twill slipcover on yet...)

And here are some pics of my office to nursery progress...

Before

Last weekend

And today

We bought Valspar's new ZERO VOC, certified ashtma & allergy friendly paint and I can't speak highly enough about it. I had Loews match it to Bejnamin Moore's Decorator's White...and since it has zero VOC's I could even help out a little.

Valspar⁺ is the first paint certified asthma & allergy friendly^™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. It provides a durable antimicrobial finish that is mold and mildew resistant. With no lingering odors and zero VOCs, you get a long lasting finish without adding asthma and allergy triggers. Valspar⁺ is ideal for bedrooms (especially for children), bathrooms, basements and kitchens.

Inspiration Board: Allison's Den

2012-01-05T08:02:00.000-05:00

I recently helped my friend Allison with her guest room...and we are now moving on to her den. Her den is immediately to the left when you enter the front door, and this room really serves as a place to put the kids coats and shoes on, to drop the mail, etc. But it is also one of the first rooms in the house so it has to set the right tone.

The room already has great built in white bookcases encasing a large front window. I hope to extend these bookcases slightly to make room for a cushion the kids can sit on when they are getting ready.

Since most of the house is bright, light and airy, I thought this small room would be beautiful and dramatic in a dark navy like Benjamin Moore's Old Navy. The room would still be bright because of the big windows and white bookcases and molding, but the dark color would be unexpected, a little dramatic, and offer a cozy feeling.

Version 1

I also wanted to give this room some pieces to feel more like a den. A place Allison and her husband can retreat to when they want to read a good book with a cup of coffee on weekend mornings. In one version, I found these great graphic patterned slipper chairs from Target that I want to create a conversation area with. In the second version, I selected two whiskey colored club chairs, also from Target. Since the walls are dark I selected a warm neutral rug (West Elm), distressed barn wood mirror (Potterybarn), and farmhouse chandelier (Potterybarn).

Version 2

For those pesky bills and letters that may pile up I love the idea of a secretary desk like this one from Ballard Designs. This way you can keep your mail and magazines organized and have a drop down desk when needed--but when guests come over it can all get neatly tucked away.

I had to add the owl umbrella stand for a bit of fun and whimsy.

Kid-friendly and Cool?

2012-01-04T13:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

This past weekend I had my 19-month nephew stay at my house and I quickly realized that my house is anything but baby-proof.

While I want my house to be safe and fun for my baby, I still want it to look like a sophisticated grown up house. My recent purchase of a sectional for upstairs is a great example of both...light stone (grown up color) but in micro-suede (child friendly fabric).

I came across Celebrity Chef Trish Magwood's house tour on House & Home's website that perfectly blends kid-friendly and approachable, while still being super cool and chic. Love!

Designer: Rebecca Muha
Photographer: Stacey Brandford

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

After more than a week off of work, I feel totally relaxed and energized. I can't remember how my brain works...but hopefully that will come back slowly :)

2011 was such a great year. I feel so blessed for my family, friends, husband, home...and of course my biggest event of 2011...getting pregnant!

I am beyond excited for 2012. I'm not even sure what my New Year's Resolutions are?

Except maybe to be a good mother, friend, daughter, sister, wife...and find time to still take care of myself and pursue my passions...man that seems like a lot :)

Here is another thing I am proud of for 2011...I finally finished my gallery wall downstairs. This has been hanging without pictures for about one year...so with the help of Ryan I finally completed it before 2011 ended! Yeah!!!

This family frame is by far my favorite...

Ryan and I also moved my office furniture downstairs to get ready for the nursery...here is a shot of my desk and bookcase now downstairs...don't worry that lamp is not staying!

I can't wait to get this room organized and painted. I'm still thinking Green? I bought a gorgeous white metalasse duvet and shams this weekend at Potterybarn...so really I can paint the walls any color I want. I'm also thinking a fuchsia would look beautiful with the navy rug??

And finally here is a photo of what my beautiful old office...and soon to be nursery currently looks like...YIKES! That's my crib, bookcase, changing table, and curtains in the boxes, bedding poking out of the shopping bags, and a ton of baby clothes :) I think we'll begin painting next weekend!!!

Happy New Year!!!

My Office is Moving...

2011-12-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've finally had time to sit and start concepting my next project--my new office :)

Ryan and I started to move my current office (seen here) downstairs to get the room ready for our baby (due Mar 30). My office will be combined with what is now our downstairs guestroom (seen here), which is practically all white...and with my desk and bookcase also being white...I LITERALLY have a white canvas to work with.

What to do...what to do?

I need to come up with an idea fairly fast as I'd like to paint at least one of the walls next week when I'm off for the Holidays.

I've been dying to create a room with grass greens for a while--see my previous blog post about my love for grass green here. Most rooms in my house have a very gray/charcoal tone, so I think this can be unexpected, feminine and refreshing.

Here are some inspirational photos that are tickling my fancy...

I am a green paint virgin so I'm going to have to test a lot of colors...but Benjamin Moore's Green Thumb looks pretty good so far...

I also have to think about how I want to dress the guest bed. I like the idea of keeping the bedding in soft and neutral tones like this...

Maybe it's all white bedding with pillows in soft patterns (like above) and a great throw at the bottom?

Another reason to keep the bedding simple is I might be using this awesome rug I recently purchased. I planned to use in the baby's room but now that I'm "making" an orange chevron rug, this oh-so-fabulous rug needs a home and the all white room might be the perfect spot!

Of course my eyes keep darting over to this ridiculous awesome blue--but since my dining room and bathroom are charcoal, my baby's room is navy, my bedroom is gray blue, and my family room ceiling is light gray...I'm thinking I need to move a little out of my comfort zone!

Updated Nursery Board

2011-12-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been a little under the weather this week. Today is my last class and I am officially relieved. What a great experience, but super time-consuming!

For my final project we had to create a construction document--this is what you'd typically hand to your general contractor to let him know what walls need to stay, which need to be removed, which walls are painted, what color, which walls are papered, etc. Super detailed. I'll share my doc with you tomorrow.

In the meantime, we also had to do a complete furniture plan for a room. Obviously I picked my nursery since I was almost done with the design. But I added a few new finds. Check out my updated board below...

Here is a shot of my actual board that I'm presenting today in class...

Slip-covered Glider Chair, PB Kids
Orange Chevron Rug, Jonathan Adler (I'm going to try and make my own like this...stay tuned :)
White/Navy Quilt, PB Kids
Navy Twill Blackout Curtains, PB Kids
Gilded Gold Frames, Potterybarn
Kendall Crib, PB Kids
Cameron 4-Shelf, PB Kids
Dresser, Burlington Coat Factory (total steal!)
White Baskets, PB Kids
Crib Skirt Fabric, Wilmington Multi, Calico Corners
I totally can't find where I found that lamp and it is driving me crazy...if I figure it out I'll share immediately!

The Rue Magazine Holiday issue is live!

2011-12-06T11:28:00.003-05:00

I can't wait to get home and officially devour the new Rue magazine. But here are some of my favorite pics in the meantime!

Also this weekend Ryan and I bought a bunch of our nursery furniture--so fun! I'll post what we bought later this week...and what we're still searching for :)

All images from Rue Magazine

Christmas trees are up!

2011-12-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

This weekend I finally got both of my trees (living room + family room) up and decorated. I love the feeling of a fire in the fireplace, a good movie on, a decorated Christmas tree, and a cup of coffee in my hand. It really is my happy place that I go to often (in my head) when life feels too hectic.

Here are a couple photos of my decorations (ps I know I need a tree skirt :)

I'm loving the beautiful mercury glass candlesticks and Christmas tree (gifts from my mother-in-law) which are currently living on my mantle.

We decided to decorate the upstairs tree very formal with gold and silver balls and red leaves. The flowers are the best trick I have...not only are they beautiful and cheap (I just buy fake poinsettias at Michael's and pop off the flowers from the stem) but they are perfect for hiding bald spots in your tree.

And here is my downstairs tree...this is where we put all of our family ornaments. As you can see we need to fill in a little more with balls and flowers. But overall, I'm loving it!

Now I just need to get on top of my Christmas cards...I'll post on that later this week!

Costco Beds - Fabulous???

2011-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday!

Quick post, got to dash to a meeting...but two things...yesterday was not my second to last class...but third to last class...surprise to me :)

And can someone please order one of these oh-so-fabulous beds from Costco!?!?!

Yes you read that right...Costco! Don't they look almost as divine as the Colette bed from Crate & Barrel or any bed from Restoration!

Here is the Allegro Uphostered Wingback Bed and Headboard

And here is the Wingback Upholstered Bed Collection

Please, if you buy one of these, please send me a picture. I want to see how it looks in your room!

Stylist's 100-year old home renovation

2011-11-30T08:12:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday...or like I like to call it...Happy Second-to-last-class day!

I have long been obsessed with the following kitchen. In fact not only have I saved it in my inspiration files, but it was one of my jumping off points for my kitchen project in class. I just love the unexpected use of the unlacquered brass hardware, found in vintage shops and on eBay. It really makes this kitchen special. And can you believe these cabinets are from Ikea!?!? Reinforces my desire to do a completely wonderful kitchen reno using Ikea cabinets and fabulous hardware!

So when I found out more about this gorgeous home, I had to share with you.

This newly renovated jewel is the home of Toronto props and food stylist Sasha Seymour. Check out the spectacular "after" photos, featured in House & Home, of this 100-year old home.

PS--I'm really digging roman shades lately. They aren't nearly as dramatic as floor to ceiling curtains, but they really show off a bold graphic print well without overwhelming the room.

Photos by Michael Graydon

Cottage Chic Guest Room

2011-11-29T09:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! I have another exciting project in the works...I am helping a friend refine/reorganize her den/study, living room, and guest room. Besides the fact that her house is absolutely gorgeous (her and her husband recently finished huge renovations) she is so sweet and has great taste...let the fun begin!

I started with the guest room, as this is the simplest room as far as design so I figured it'd be a good place to start...

I normally don't like to source everything from one store, in this case Potterybarn, but I definitely knew the look I was going for and everything I had in mind just happened to be at Potterybarn. I wanted to do something charming and cottage-y while still being crisp and chic. I absolutely love Benjamin Moore's Woodlawn Blue, it is the perfect balance of country and modern. I thought the color combination of Woodlawn blue, white, cream and natural accents (with a pop of mirror) would be absolutely stunning!

Here is what I came up with...I'll let you know what we actually move forward with.

Cottage Chic Sources

Stratton Bed & Baskets

· Potterybarn, $999

· Full/Queen Bed: 60" wide x 80" deep x 16" high

Charlotte Headboard

· Potterybarn, $499

· Queen: 62" wide x 2.5" deep x 63" high (I’m guessing it’s about 50” high at lowest point)

Charlotte Armoire

· Potterybarn, $1149

· 46" wide x 26" deep x 72" high

Park Mirrored Bedside Table

· Potterybarn, $399

· 24" wide x 18" deep x 28" high

Gilded Gold Frames

· Potterybarn

Grace Duvet & Sham

· Potterybarn, $129 queen duvet, $49 Euro Sham (x2)

Pick-Stitch Quilt & Shams

· Potterybarn, Sandalwood, $159 queen, $25 Standard Sham (x2)

White Sheets with Monogram

· Potterybarn, White with LightBlue/Porcelin Blue Monogramming, $89

Benjamin Moore paint in Woodlawn Blue

Natural Roman Shades for both windows (Smith & Noble or Next Day Blinds)

Botanical Calendar for art (we can frame with gilded frames)

· Paper Source, $21.95

Navy + Orange Nursery

2011-11-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

I'm back! I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. This has been the longest I've ever gone, and I've missed it every day! To say I've been a little overwhelmed is the understatement of the century! Between work, school, the holidays...oh yeah and did I forget to mention...I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant!! :)

That's right! I'm having a little boy, due in late March/early April. So exciting!!!

Which has made me focusing on nursery designs...I think I'm going to do a preppy navy/orange/white

Something like this...

I love when baby rooms are charming without being overly baby!

Check out some other super cool navy & orange spaces & ensembles...

And here's a photo of me preggers...

New Nov/Dec 2011 LONNY issue is live!

2011-11-11T11:27:00.001-05:00

Happy 11.11.11 everyone!

Sorry I've been a little distracted the past couple weeks on my blog...I might be able to explain more next week!

In the meantime, today is one of my favorite days because...the new LONNY issue is here!

Check out some of their super cool images below.

If anyone needs a stocking stuffer idea for me...I am currently coveting this coffee table book!

This sofa looks great...and at only $699 from West Elm...if it's comfortable in person it's an absolute steal!

Here is a great inspiration photo for Thanksgiving! I need to get my butt in gear and figure out how I'm setting my table this year!

My love for spray paint

2011-11-09T13:43:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a super cool contest going on over at Valspar...

So if you follow my blog you know that I am completely obsessed with Valspar (I only use Valspar paint and if I am dead set on a Benjamin Moore color I have the Valspar paint mixed to my color) as well as spray painting every piece of old furniture I buy.

So Valspar spray paint is like my mother ship!

Here is the last thing I sprayed...a table I bought for $11 and looks amazing!

After:

Before:

To celebrate the launch of their new Spray Paint Formula and Can Design they are giving their fans a chance to win a Valspar Spray Paint DIY Kit through their Facebook page.

Visit Valspar's Facebok page and upload a photo of an item you want to "spray" on the Play to Spray Photo Contest--then get people to VOTE! The top ten voted items will win a kit, which includes five cans of spray.

The improved paint formula and intuitive design of the new Valspar Spray Paint minimizes common issues such as finger fatigue, dripping, and spitting.

I'm definitely finding a piece in need of a little TLC and submitting...I'm thinking of this piece...

A good window display

2011-11-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

A good home window display will literally make me stop in my tracks and I instantly imagine what it would be like to live in this space! I remember when I was at Boston U and working retail on Newbury Street I would go into the Potterybarn on my break and sit and dream about what my "grown up" house would one day look like.

This weekend a super cute window display at Z Gallerie literally made me stop and take a photo, much to the mall walkers dismay. I love the winter rustic vibe with the charming numbered canisters, pewter plates, iron owl watching over and glass apothecary-like decanter...all set on top of a rustic dining room table with a white birch tree in the background...love!

Here are some other fabulous accessories I am loving from Z Gallerie