The Luxe Lifestyle

New Kitchen Lighting Project

2014-03-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

New project time!!!

When we were designing our kitchen lighting during our renovation over a year ago, I basically ran out of creative steam.

I was making so many decisions all at once, and we were encountering so many issues, that I remember reaching a point towards the end where I was pretty much saying:

"Suuuuuuuuure, whatever! It doesn't matter, that's FINE...."

Not only can I not stand my fixtures now, but there are also dark spots ALL over my kitchen.

Time to correct that! YAY :)

We have decided to go with a recessed can and pendant light combination for our new lighting scheme.

Here are the polished nickel KICHLER pendants that I chose for either side of the sink:

We're using 4" recessed cans with glass diffusers on them. Because we're putting in so many of them (in addition to taking our old fixtures out), we're essentially going to have to re-do our entire ceiling.

This is a picture of standard can lights:

This is what we are using:

I really just think that the 4" recessed can lights with diffusers look much more 'designer'. They still solve the lighting issues, and are aesthetically pleasing too.

The crazy part is that our entire kitchen ceiling is going to be turned into a "hot mess" because of the wiring installation process. Translation: LOTS of sheetrock and plaster dust, turning my home into a yucky dusty mess.

I'm looking forward to showing you guys the finished product tho!

Stay tuned.....

The big kitchen lighting reveal is coming this week!!

Master Bedroom Reveal

2014-03-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Our master bedroom is finally done!
It only took over a year to get my act together and finish it... and share it too! lol

I'm really happy with it now. I used to prefer every other room in the house to ours, but now our bedroom is my favorite room in the house!

I found these apothecary cabinets at Target, of all places. Purchased on sale, they were only $100 each! And the best thing about them is that the bottom 2 rows of mini drawers are actually false.... instead they are 2 normal sized pull out drawers. Tons of storage for the stuff that we want to hide!

It's completely unlike every other space --- very monochromatic and soothing. The only 'real' color I used in here was a soft mauve-y pink. Everything else is in the neutral color palette.

One of my favorite parts of our new space is my little vanity area. Not only does it make really great use of this awkward space in our bedroom, but it's really practical too.

I purchased the "vanity" at Target, and spray painted + hand painted it a high gloss white.

Get it here: Threshold Campaign Desk $134.99

We only have one full bath upstairs right now, so when guests come to visit, it's the perfect place for us to get ready while guests use the bathroom. Plus, I can stash all my "girl stuff" in her. Function + beautiful.... that's what great design is all about.

I'm also really proud of my little DIY fireplace makeover. Thanks for the idea, Ashleigh! :)

In this house, the word "done" is laughable. As my husband well knows, I'm never really "done" with anything.

Truthfully though, the only things that we have left to do in our bedroom design-wise are installing a chandelier over the vanity dressing area, and adding new craftsman crown trim to the ceiling. That's pretty good for me!

Guess I forgot to mention that I just decided to re-do the ceiling and all of the lighting in our kitchen.... and I want it all done before May 2014.

Oh, and because my business has been going really well, I'm moving out of the small guest room and converting our weird walk-in storage room into a workspace for me.

No biggie -- just a 3 month long renovation that includes all new electrical, flooring, custom shelving, and paint etc. Super duper excited about this project!

*SIGH*
My poor, poor, supportive husband..... lol ;)

Charlotte Home & Garden Magazine: Spring 2014 Feature - DIY in Plaza Midwood

2014-03-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce that the Spring 2014 issue of Charlotte Home + Garden Magazine featuring our Plaza Midwood home has officially hit stands!

To see the feature article, and the entire issue, visit the links below:

DIY Luxe In Plaza Midwood

Charlotte Home + Garden Magazine: March 2014 Issue

All photo rights and content credit to Charlotte Home + Garden Magazine.

Charlotte Home + Garden Magazine can be found at local business partners, Harris Teeter, Barnes & Noble, Park Road Books, etc.

For a complete list visit the Charlotte Home + Garden website.

(Side note: Charlotte Home + Garden Magazine also has sister publications --- Charlotte WEDDING and CHARLOTTE Magazine.

See those here: Charlotte Magazine)

If you live in the Charlotte, NC area, be sure to check out our home in person in a few months on the local Plaza Midwood Home Tour. The tour, part of our "Midwood Maynia" festival, runs Friday May 2nd, through Saturday May 3rd, 2014 and is a fundraiser for our neighborhood association.

For more information visit the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association website here:

PMNA: Midwood Maynia Home Tour

What are your favorite local home tours?

IKEA Vittsjo Hack

2014-03-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

My husband hates when I do Ikea hacks.

That's probably because usually I'll solicit his help to do the parts I don't want to do. ;-)

But this particular Ikea hack is so easy that I didn't even need him! In fact, I completed the entire project in a single afternoon.

Did I forget to mention that the finished project costs only $70?

Heck yes!

Here's what you need:

Ikea VITTSJO shelf

Gold Spray Paint

Single piece of glass cut to shelf size

Single piece of mirror cut to shelf size

Prep Work:

When you take all of the pieces out of the box, you'll see that it comes with several glass shelves, as well as 2 black particle board shelves. You can go ahead and throw the black shelves away, because you won't be using them.

Instead, take one of the glass shelves to your local custom glass & mirror store and tell them that you want:

(1) piece of glass that exactly matches the piece that you brought with you
(1) mirror cut to the exact dimension as the glass piece

Depending on how busy they are, they can usually cut both pieces in a few hours. I placed my order in the morning, and it was ready that afternoon.

How To:

1. First, I assembled the metal frame of the shelving.

Side note: I left off the metal stabilizing brackets because I think it just takes away from the overall look. However, if you are going to be putting anything heavy on the shelves, then you need to do the assembly with the brackets.

2. Next, I spray painted the frame using a metallic gold spray paint.

I prefer Rustoleum Metallic Brass spray paint. But since I can't find it anywhere anymore, I've started using Krylon Metallic Spray Paint in Metallic Brass -- it seems to be just as good. It takes about 2 cans to properly do each shelving unit.

Side note: Don't forget to spray paint the little black feet that go on the bottom of the unit!

3. After it dries, all you have to do is place the glass & mirror shelves in place. The mirrored shelf goes on the very bottom, and the clear glass shelves go on all the rest of the shelf brackets.

Voila!

I used two of the VITTSJO shelves in my sunroom to flank either side of a little seating area. Because I didn't want to block the light from all of the windows, these work really well. After I accessorized them, my hubs didn't even recognize that they came from Ikea!

When I told him that they both cost me less than $150 total, he practically did cartwheels.

Now that's mission accomplished!

I'm working on some new window treatments for the sunroom, so hopefully you'll get to see the big reveal of the whole room in a few weeks. ;)

Update: My "Workshop" is almost done!

2014-02-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it's taken me so long to do this update... things have been crazy around here as usual.

A few weeks ago I found out that our home is going to be featured in the Spring 2014 issue of CHARLOTTE Home + Garden magazine. Super exciting!

Did I mention that they gave me a week and a half notice to have it photo shoot ready?

Cue the stressful mad dash.

Fortunately, I had made pretty good progress on my to-do list since we have been trying to get ready for the home tour in May anyways.

Still, it has been pretty nuts. And the hubs can attest to that.

Anyways, here is my little DIY X-bench in its new home:

I ended up primarily using it as my seat when I'm sewing at my desk. But if I choose to take down my craft desk (it's collapsible and comes apart easily), the bench looks adorable right at the foot of the guest bed too.

How fun is the white antelope bust hanging on the wall? I searched for a really long time to find one the size/scale I liked, and I ended up purchasing this one from White Faux Taxidermy on Etsy.

To see the full post and reveal of my Craft Room makeover, visit my Home Tour.

I have so many cool upcoming things to post and reveal over the next few weeks, so get ready!

Coming soon:

- Ikea VITTSJO Hack -

- Master Bedroom Makeover Reveal -

- Chinoiserie Bamboo Chairs Makeover -

- Sunroom Reveal -

- Summer-Ready Gazebo Makeover -

$50 X Bench Ottoman Makeover

2014-01-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the Before & After story of my $50 ottoman makeover!

I'm thrifty.

That's a nice way of describing what I really am: CHEAP.

I know, not exactly a secret. ;)

When I saw this X bench ottoman, I fell in love with it. But I did NOT fall in love with the price tag!

$200? I mean, really??

That would be a NO.

Then a few months ago, I was wandering through the clearance section in HomeGoods, and I stumbled across a hideous little ottoman. Even despite the awful fabric, and the cheap faux silver paint on the legs, I saw potential in it. I loved the size and scale, and the fact that it had the "X" bench legs like that expensive ottoman I saw online.

I flipped it over, and when I saw the red $49 clearance sticker, I practically ran to the check-out line.

It really wasn't that hard to give it a makeover. It took me less than 2 hours to do it from start to finish, and it only cost me $50!

Here's what I did:

Step 1: Disassemble the top upholstered cushion from the legs. Like any chair, there are usually 4-6 screws that screw the cushion in place.

Step 2: Spray paint the legs.
In this case, I chose a gold spray paint to get that trendy gilt look.

If you ever want to paint something a gold color, use Krylon's Metallic Brass spray paint. I have tried pretty much every can of spray paint on the market, and this is by far my favorite!

.....And it's only $3.95 at Home Depot or Lowes.

I know, whaaaaat??!?

I always keep cans of this in the house because I'm forever spray painting stuff gold. I had a half-used can in my basement, so essentially this was free.

Step 3: Upholster seat cushion with a fabric liner.
To cover up this hideous fabric, I needed to add a solid neutral liner to the cushion first. It's almost like adding a primer on top of dark walls before you paint them a lighter color.... you don't want the darker pattern to show through. I actually had some laying around from an old project, so this didn't cost me anything either.

Much better. Now you can't see that ridiculous fabric :)

Step 4: Upholster the seat cushion with the fabric of your choice.
Measure out your fabric, leaving enough room around the edges to wrap the fabric underneath the cushion (usually about 3-4 inches is enough depending on the thickness of your cushion).

I'm in a phase right now where I'm really into the Greek Key thing, so I fell in love with this green Greek Key fabric the moment I saw it. (Apparently other people did too, because this pattern is almost sold out in my Etsy shop!)

I got such a great deal on this fabric, and used such a small amount to cover the cushion, that it only ended up costing me around $1.50 worth of fabric.

Flip your fabric over, and laying the cushion face down on it, start to pull the fabric taught. Using your staple gun, secure the fabric in place.

I always start with the longest sides first, then do the shorter sides, and I save the corners for last. This helps prevent any wrinkles or bubbles, because I can always cover up imperfections when I get to the corners.
It's extremely important to pull the fabric VERY tightly around the corners in order to get a professional tailored look.

Step 5: Trim off any excess fabric that is hanging off where you stapled it.
At this point, you could always get super fancy and add a finishing liner to the bottom so you don't see any of these messy corners.

Obviously, I'm lazy, so I skipped that part.

Step 6: Re-attach the upholstered cushion to the spray painted legs, and step back and admire your finished product!

Ta da!

Another shot of the Before & After:

Gahhh that "Before" is B-A-D lol.

I'm using my refurbished $50 X bench in my newly redecorated craft room/smaller guest room, and I adore it!

I can use it a seat for my sewing table when I'm working on Etsy orders, and I especially love the fact that it slides neatly underneath when I'm done. Or, when we have guests, I can position it at the end of the guest bed where it looks equally cute.

I'm almost done with my little craft room redesign (so excited about it!), so I'll post about that soon!

Upstairs Hallway Makeover: Gallery Wall

2013-11-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

So, I actually did this several months ago. . .

and I'm just now getting around to posting about it ;)

Welcome to my life.

Anywhooo. . .

This is what I did with my upstairs hallway!

Before it was just a blank slate --- and I mean there was nothing there. Which is actually kind of fun, because a blank slate means that you can do anything that you want with it!

My biggest challenge with the space was the budget. Basically, I wanted to try to do the entire thing

for under $200.

I know, kind of crazy right?

My starting point was the console table. I found it at Marshall's and it was an ugly brownish mahogany color, made very cheaply with bad wood. But I liked the scale and lines of the table, and thought it could work for the hallway.

It was on clearance for $65, and I saw that there were some damaged areas on it (nicks and scratches) so I decided to see if I could negotiate the price even lower.

After talking to a manager, I ended up getting it for $50!

After giving it a quick light sand, I spray painted it with Rustoleum Ultra Cover paint in Gloss Spa Blue. It takes a few coats to get a saturated look, but I just love the pop of color it gives the hallway!

I had some vintage hardware in my home décor stockpile, so I drilled holes and added it to the front to make it look like there is a drawer.

Not bad for a total investment of around $55!

All of the items on the wall are frames and things that I already had from our old place. I simply used spray paint to add some depth to the wall by bringing in different colors. The black frames are what they originally looked like (from Target).

The mirror is from Target as well, and I simply spray painted it gold to make it 'pop'. I adore the quatrefoil shape, and if you look closely, it echoes the pattern in the rugs.

(P.S. The rugs are actually from Garden Ridge, and cost $30 EACH! Another incredible deal.)

Almost all of the accessories are from Marshall's too The faux orange floral, the rustic basket, the sand timer, the candlestick, white lantern, the "L".... all of this for $60!! You can't beat Marshall's and Homegoods for odds & ends accessories on a budget ;)

So my total cost for this makeover?

~ $175.

BOOM.

;)

Kate Spade Friends & Family SALE: 30% OFF!!!

2013-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Kate Spade, having a SALE? Can it be true?

Yes, it can!

Today, October 18th - Sunday, October 20th Kate Spade (and her sister brands Jack Spade & KS Saturday) are offering 30% off your entire purchase during their Friends & Family event!

(For some reason, there seem to be issues with the email image, so just in case you can't see it, the code is FALL13FF)

People, this practically never happens..... so take advantage of it!

I know I will be.

Here are some of my top picks (from Kate Spade NY):

1. Kate Spade Broome Street Denim $198
($138.60 after the 30% off)

I'm basically OBSESSED with these jeans. Even my husband says these are the best jeans he's ever seen me wear, and I used to wear Citizens & AG jeans. I have two pairs of Broome Street denim right now: Classic blue denim & gulabi pink. I love them both, but I wear my blue ones constantly. One of my fav features (besides the ahhhmazing fit) is the cute little gold metal spade logo attached to the butt pocket:)

2. Kissing Canaries Bangle Bracelet $39
($27.30 after 30% off)

How cute is this bangle? I have really small wrists, so I can't wear most bangles....unless they are oval shaped like this one! That way they don't fall off :) I love that this one has two little gold canaries on it. It would be a super cute gift for a girlfriend/wife too. HINT HINT, Brandon! ;)

3. Thelma Dress in French Navy $189
($132.30 after the 30% off)

I love the retro lines and vibe of this dress. I'm really into boxy shift dresses right now, and I'm an automatic fan of anything with pockets, so this dress is perfect. I think it'd be really easy to layer it too, so you can wear it year round. AND it's already on sale, plus you get the friends & fam discount!

4. Cedar Street Medium Harmony $298
($208.60 after the 30% off)

I love the Harmony bag. It is the perfect end-all everyday tote. And, if you have kiddos, it makes a fab baby bag. Clean lines, great leather, and available in 5 fun colors!

5. Grenada Flats $258
($180.60 after the 30% off)

I know that they are super trendy, but they are SO cute I couldn't resist! How fun would these be with cropped denim, a white shirt, and a vest on a chilly fall day? Love love love. I don't usually splurge on things that aren't classic everyday pieces, but this shoe is too fab not to.

And the best part.....

there are hardly any exclusions to the 30% off code! It's good at outlets, boutiques, online, full price, sale, everything!!

Happy Shopping :)

Fall Themed Dinner Party

2013-10-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was so busy that I'm just now getting around to posting the pictures from the Fall-themed dinner party that I helped my friend Chris decorate for.

He said he wanted it to be elegant, but that he also wanted to use some earthy organic elements.... and that he HAD to have sunflowers too. :) This is what I came up with:

I think it came out really nice! And most of the things I used to decorate with were 'found' items, or things that we already had in our decorating/entertaining arsenal. Like the moss runner that Chris had..... fabulous, right? He puts two of them together to run the length of the table, and got them at Michael's for less than $10! That's what we used as the base for the tablescape.

We decided to use burlap as one of the key elements, and bring in touches of silver and mercury glass to brighten things up. Burlap isn't as cheap as it used to be, but if you go to a cheap craft store or a home décor outlet, you can usually find 10-12 yards of it for around $15. That goes a long way, so it's pretty economical. The mercury glass candle holders and candlesticks are a Marshall's find, and were a steal at $7 - $14 each. They are super versatile and can also be used for other holidays, or as part of year-round décor, which is why I adore them.

I bought 2 bunches (about 30 stems) of Sunflowers at Harris Teeter for $15.99 each, and those were the focal floral element. I bought some filler bouquets at my go-to flower source, Trader Joe's, for around $4 and used those to fill in the small votives and the large arrangements. To dress up the plain glass vases that I used for the floral arrangements, I cut a length of burlap and wrapped it around the circumference and hot glued it into place. (I couldn't resist the girly urge to add a rustic bow onto one of them!)

I found these great little wire and burlap baskets at Michael's for 70% off! How cute are they? I trimmed the ties on the baskets and filled them with gourds, squash, aromatic potpourri, pinecones, and some beautiful artichokes that I got at Harris Teeter. I need a way to elevate one of the baskets, so Chris provided these beautiful old books that belonged to his Grandfather. The patina on the books ended up working out perfectly - I really love the overall look.

We used pieces of burlap that I cut and folded as "chargers" on top of the placemats, just to bring in a little texture so that it wasn't white-on-white. Then I made napkin holders using some leftover pieces of burlap that I folded over and hot glued, and added sprigs of some faux sparkly garland on the top(also from Michael's). It ties the place setting together nicely without being too over the top.

I didn't want to neglect Chris's beautiful china cabinet, so I decided to decorate that as well. I think that it's really important -especially at a dinner party- to make sure that there are multiple vignettes and focal points, so that everyone has a good view, regardless of where they are in the room.

Chris went on a last minute shopping trip and picked up these cute mercury glass pumpkins for $7, so of course I had to incorporate them! ;) An apothecary jar filled with some artichokes and moss, plus a rustic armillary orb and candlelight.... voila!

Oh, and did I mention that Chris is a CHEF???

Yup. I have the BEST friends.

If you think the décor was neat, check out the amazing food that he prepared!

Brined rack of lamp w/ panko crust & red wine reduction, mushroom risotto,
roasted brussel sprouts with crème fraiche

*SIGH* It is at moments like this that I wish that I could have an extra stomach so that I can eat more yummy food!! It was such a fun night, thanks again Chris!

It's FINALLY Fall decor time!

2013-10-10T13:10:00.002-07:00

So.... I'm back! From my 6+ month hiatus from blogging (lol).

I'm super excited that the weather decided to cooperate this week.... it's finally feeling like Fall! I mean, I actually got to break out the requisite leggings + boots the past few days and everything ;) The fact that the weather feels less like summer and more like Fall motivated me to get the décor together for the outside of my house.

Since this is our first season actually IN the house, I'm having to figure out decorations for the outside of our house for the first time. And, I'm trying to do it on a BUDGET. I challenged myself to do all of our outside Fall décor for less than $200, and with some creative short cuts, it wasn't too hard! A little elbow grease, some spray paint, and a trip to your local nursery and VOILA... Fall decorations on a budget. This is what I came up with for the front of my house:

First of all, my neighborhood is full of over-achievers---some of these people have had Halloween decorations up since before the end of September! I mean, c'mon.... I am not that on top of things. At least I got things decorated in time for the cooler temperatures, right? I didn't want to have to worry about decorating twice (once for Halloween and then again for Thanksgiving); I wanted to come up with something that would last the season and be relatively low maintenance as well as cute.

I also didn't want to just do plain old pumpkins, so I decided to do 2 pumpkin craft projects:

Since this project was a little more labor intensive (but still not hard), I used one of those Michael's "fake" pumpkins. I figured that if I was going to invest more than 15 minutes of my time in it, I wanted to be able to use the pumpkin again next year!

The Materials:

Fake Small Pumpkin = $6 (w/ Michael's 40% off coupon)

Blue Painters Tape = $2 for a roll

Antique White/Ivory Spray Paint = $3.95

Metallic Gold Spray Paint = $3.95

Total Project Investment: $15.99

Step 1.): Spray paint the base color of your pumpkin. I chose to do my base gold since I wanted that to be the accent color. I used Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint (my fav!). Tip: Be sure that you tape off the stem of your pumpkin!

Step 2.): Using blue painters tape, start at the top of the pumpkin and using 2-3 inch sections of tape create a zig-zag line pattern around the circumference of the pumpkin.

Step 3.): Move about an inch down (or whatever width you desire) and using the blue tape again, repeat the same pattern around the pumpkin again. Repeat this procedure until you have covered the pumpkin. Tip: Be sure that you press down the blue tape firmly, especially where there are ridges on the pumpkin. This keeps the paint from bleeding.

Step 4.): Spray paint the entire pumpkin using your other color of spray paint. I used Rustoleum Antique White flat spray paint.

Step 5.): Carefully peel off the blue tape..... and admire your finished product!

The other pumpkin project can be as easy or as intricate as you want it to be.... your creativity is the limit!

The Materials:

Discounted or Imperfect Pumpkin(s) = $5 - $7

Craft Glue = $1.99

Gold Craft Glitter = $4.99

Total Project Investment: $11.98

I like to use cheaper pumpkins or ones with imperfections for this project. Most of the time pumpkins that have flaws only on the back are almost HALF the price! When you finish, you can't see the flaws anyways.

Step 1.): Using a washable marker, trace the pattern (monogram or design) that you want onto the pumpkin.

Step 2.): Using a thin/small amount of craft glue, trace your pattern. Tip: Be careful not to use too much glue so it doesn't drip.

Step 3.): Sprinkle the gold craft glitter all over the glue. You want to use an ample amount of glitter in order to adequately cover.

Step 4.): Once the glue and the glitter have dried, spray the entire pumpkin with a clear gloss sealant coat. I like to use Rustoleum clear coat spray, but you can always use something different. The important thing is that you seal the glitter to keep it from getting ruined from being outside in the elements.

I did a monogram "L", some polka dot pumpkins, and I also did one with the name of our neighborhood on it..... because we live in the most awesome neighborhood! ;)

To create my groupings, I bought some little gourds (3 for $2.00) and some Mums ($5) at the local farmers market, and I got some ornamental Kale ($3-$4.50) at my local nursery. I already had the royal blue pots, so I planted the Kale and Mums in them. Super easy, and super cheap! The mums and the kale last several months, so I'll have them all the way until I put my Christmas décor up. Then I took some black lanterns that I had been using on our gazebo, and put flameless candles inside of them. If you don't have black lanterns, you can find cheap plastic ones at Marshall's/HomeGoods for around $8, or you can splurge for the real deal at Lowes for $20.

I made the wreath for my front door and the wreaths for my side entrance using simple dried vine wreaths and a variety of natural-themed picks that I bought from Michael's during a 70% off sale. The wood vine wreaths are not only budget-friendly (they run around $4 - $6 each), but they are a really good base for outdoor wreaths like this. Using hot glue, about 7-8 picks, some ribbon, and a few well placed dried flowers, I made the wreaths in about 45 minutes one afternoon. You just have to play around with it until you get the look that you want. The picks are inexpensive to start with, and on sale I think they cost about .50 - .80 cents each. Total, all 3 wreaths cost me under $50!

Now that my DIY decorations are finally up, I can't wait for Halloween to get here:)

I'm helping my friend Chris decorate for his elegant Fall themed dinner party that he's having this weekend, so I'll be sure to post some pictures of what we do for that as well. I'm thinking lots of sunflowers, burlap, and maybe some organic vegetable elements as well.....hmmm...

Shopping "Haul": Lilly Pulitzer, Britt Ryan, Melly M, Vineyard Vines

2013-03-26T09:55:00.005-07:00

I'm very proud of my latest shopping "haul". I've been on a mission for a while to score some good Britt Ryan pieces, and I've finally done it! My two recent Britt Ryan pieces came from a local store called Sweet Repeats, which is part consignment store, part high-end boutique leftovers. Basically, they sell designer consignment items and leftover pieces from local boutiques when they are past season. Anyways, I scored an awesome dress and silk top, both with original tags!

Britt Ryan Fuchsia Pinwheel Dress, Size 8 (which I'll need to have tailored)

Originally $298, purchased for $54.50

Britt Ryan Silk Seahorses Cami

Originally $228, purchased for $49.50

Rue La La was having a Nantucket Style event last week, which I discovered while browsing on my iPhone at the doctors office. I'm so glad that I decided to poke around while I was bored and check out the items in the Nantucket Style shop, because they had tons of cute stuff! They had quite a bit of Lilly, as well as some really cute dresses by Barbara Gerwit, Vineyard Vines, and several other popular preppy designers. I still had a few days worth of free shipping on my "Rue30", so I snagged a couple of things before they sold out, and I'm very proud about it :)

Pink Lilly Seersucker Sleeveless Dress

Originally $198, purchased for $69.90

Vineyard Vines Navy and Cream Fish Skirt

Originally $118, purchased for $49.90

Lilly Pulitzer Buoys Skirt

Originally $78, purchased for $29.90

Melly M Links Shirt

Orignally $198, purchased for $49.90

I'm pretty well stocked up for the season, so I doubt I'll be doing much more shopping, at least for the near future. I've had several other shopping trips over the past month or so, so I'll try to post some of my favorite finds from those whenever things get back from the tailor/drycleaners.

Don't forget to check out Rue La La, there are new events posted every day, and I've seen some really good stuff coming for Spring!

My New (Stretchy!) Lilly Dress

2013-03-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was in the Belk at Southpark Mall in Charlotte while they were having a good sale. (Now, in my humble opinion, the Lilly Pulitzer section at this Belk sucks. At least compared to the one in Raleigh, anyways.)

In any event, they were having a sale, and I was on the hunt for some new navy and white summer shorts. I found what I was looking for, but I also found this super cute cotton stretchy shift dress!

It's called the "Charlene Dress". Basically, it feels like a mix of regular cotton and ponte knit. It's SUUUUUPER comfy, and I adore the fact that it has pockets too:)

Normally, it retails for $158. But I found it on the sale rack for 30% off, and then I opened a Belk card (since I was buying other things too) which saved me an additional 20%...... making the dress $88! Not too shabby.

I decided to wear it with a cornflower blue bubble necklace and my brown Corso Como boots. And can we talk about the cute little gold buttons on the pockets?

I have no idea what's going on with the weather lately. It's having some serious mood swings.... it was 75 degrees yesterday, and now it's barely pushing 50 today. YUCK. I figured my outfit today would help break up the gloominess a little....comfy but cheerful:)

Our Tan & Blue Guest Room

2013-03-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

I know that it's taken me FOREVER and a day to post pictures of our pretty-much-finished main guest room, but I've finally gotten around to it! In my defense, we have had guests staying with us almost every weekend since we've moved in. It's been great, and so far, everyone really enjoys staying in the room :) We are still waiting on one more piece of furniture, a hollywood regency inspired white bamboo dresser that my Aunt painted and is bringing down from Connecticut for me, and then it's D-O-N-E.

Here are some pictures of what it looks like so far:

This nightstand used to belong to my cousin Katie. Her Mom, my other Aunt, got it for free from a furniture consignment store! Unbelievable, right? (Getting deals runs in my genes, I swear) When they saw how much I loved it, they generously offered to give the whole set to me! My other Aunt (who is also my wonderful Godmother) painted it white for me so that it would match the rest of the room.

I found this nighstand at the flea market in Raleigh. It was already painted the perfect shade of light aqua blue, and had some really nice vintage details and wear on it. I negotiated the guy down to $50 for this beauty :)

Our little chair came from IKEA, and with the slipcover, cost us a whopping $149.

The chevron pillows and chevron valances are from Etsy, courtesy of Modernality2. The owner, Tara, custom made the valances for me, and they only cost $40! The pillows were about $15 each. The tan monogrammed pillow is also from Etsy, but from a different shop.

The long blue silk drapes are from overstock.com, as are all of the bed linens, duvet cover, and blanket.

The lamps are from Target, and I just spray painted their bases with gold spray paint..... I bought them like 5 years ago for $15, but I'm pretty sure they still sell something similar in their cheap college-y section.

The mirror above the bed (which just so happens to be one of my favorite things in the room!) is from Martha Stewart for Home Depot, and was less than $30! Such an awesome find, and it doesn't look cheap at all.

I bought the headboard while we were still living in Cary from Wayfair. When we finally moved into our house, I realized that it wasn't the right color :( So naturally, I did what I do with everything else...... I spray painted it! I used a gold metallic paint to create a worn vintage look, similar to the finish on the mirror. I think it turned out fairly well, considering that the heaboard was a mistake lol.

I'll try to post more pictures in April when the dresser arrives and I finish that side of the room.

This entire room cost less than $1500!

Here's where you can get everything:
(just click on each item and the link will take you to the product)

Robin's Egg Silk Drapery Panel

Egyptian Cotton Duvet Cover set

Spa Blue Throw Blanket

Tan Microfiber Bedskirt

Tufted Arch Upholstered Headboard

Martha Stewart Sunburst Mirror

Chevron Throw Pillows

Chevron Window Valances

Monogrammed Pillow Cover

Natural TULLSTA chair

If you have any questions on where to find something, just let me know!

Now I have to go get the house ready, because my little brother and eight (yes, 8!!) of his college friends are spending the night with us on their way back from Spring Break. I know that you're probably thinking "you are insane". Possibly I am, but these kids go to Notre Dame so they are all super awesome and polite, and we are actually really looking forward to having them here and celebrating St. Patrick's Day with them. GO IRISH!

Thrifty Thursday: Luxe Outfit for Less

2013-03-07T11:39:00.002-08:00

Today's post features one of my favorite new steals from Kate Spade!

Yes, I know what you're thinking: How did you get something from Kate Spade for under $100?
I bought a pair of her pop color skinny jeans on sale for $88 :) That's more than 50% off the original retail of $198.... one of my favorite all-time Luxe steals. I love the little gold "spade" detail on the butt pocket too.

Today's Thrifty Thursday Outfit:

Where you can get it:

Top: Black and White Striped V-neck Tee - Lacoste $68.00

Cardigan: JCrew Factory $34.50
(Get it here: JCrew Black Summerweight Cardigan )

Skinnies: Kate Spade Broome Street Jeans $88.00
(Get it here: Kate Spade Broome Street Skinnies )

Necklace: Madison Boutique $34.00
(Get a similar one for much less here: Turquoise Bubble Necklace )

Bracelets: Bamboo Inspired Bangle - JCPenny (old) $20, Chain Bracelet - H&M $4.95

Now i'm going to spend the rest of the day slaving away in the kitchen, preparing for a visit from my brother and 7 of his friends on their way to Spring Break vaycay in G.A. Woohoo! :)

Neutral Bedroom

2013-03-05T08:56:00.003-08:00

I stumbled across this bedroom, and I think it's the perfect balance of patterns & solids, textures, with a hint of luxury.

I also love the way it's been styled.... like the owners really LIVE there, and have just walked out of the room!

I'm very picky about neutral spaces, but I think this one hits the nail on the head.

Thrifty Thursday: Luxe Outfit for Less

2013-02-28T10:10:00.001-08:00

So here it is.... the second weekly Thrifty Thursday:)

This week I challenged myself to incorporate an item into my outfit that I haven't worn in a really long time. I have a silk leopard top back from when I worked at WHBM (White House Black Market), and I literally haven't worn it since I worked there - which was more than a year ago.

Today's Thrifty Thursday Outfit:

The hot pink cashmere cardi is JCrew, and it was an absolute DEAL on consignment for a whopping $16. I know, right?? Hardly worn. And I love the fact that the buttons are crystals, and there is a slight ruffle along the collar. Combined with my old WHBM leopard blouse, it actually made me like leopard again!

Where you can get it:

Top: White House Black Market $88.00

Cardigan: JCrew $16 (on consignment)

Skinnies: Old Navy $19.00

Shoes: Tory Burch $99
(these are actually jellies, with the silver plate logo attached... found them on sale at her store in LA)

Necklace: BaubleBar, see previous post

Other jewelry: Ring & Bracelet are both David Yurman, gifts from the hubby

Bag: Kate Spade $98.75 - Bloomingdales Outlet

I'm a HUGE fan of consignment now, and I got my bff Christy hooked on it too. Trust me, once you actually find a good consignment store, it's addictive. I actually just dropped a huge load of stuff off at my new favorite consignment spot in Charlotte just this morning. The good ones, like the one I go to, are super clean, very selective on what they take, and offer high-end designer items at reasonable prices.

If you're weirded out by the idea of shopping there (which you shouldn't be!), at the very least, try taking some of your unwanted items there next time instead of Plato's or Goodwill. They will give you 40-50% of what the item sells for :)

Here are some of my favorites in Raleigh/Charlotte:
(Click on the name of the store and the link will take you directly to their page)

Raleigh:
Dress
Uptown Cheapskate
Adore (Raleigh & Cary)

Charlotte:
JT Posh
Summerbird
Sweet Repeats

Wordless Wednesday

2013-02-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

C WONDER - jacket $98

Get it here: C Wonder

Elizabeth McKay on Sale on RueLaLa

2013-02-26T09:17:00.002-08:00

It's nearly impossible to find Elizabeth McKay on sale. Which is why I was SO excited last week when I noticed that Elizabeth McKay was having an event on RueLaLa! Unfortunately, I didn't find out until late the night before it started, which is why I wasn't able to get the word out.

If you're not familiar with the way RueLaLa works, they have events (or mini shops) daily where you can purchase otherwise expensive designer items at discounted prices. You can't view the items or the prices before the events starts, so everyone is seeing things for the first time when 11am hits --- it's a free for all because usually things sell out so quickly.

In any event, I was rearing and ready to go at 11am the next morning when the event launched and the items became available. I already had my credit card info saved and everything ;)

I was surprised to see that they had tons of long-sleeve Scotland dresses, from both this past season as well as several seasons ago. They also had a few fairly recent sleeveless Elizabeth blouses, long sleeve blouses, and coats --- all available in a multitude of really nice patterns and fabrics. They definitely weren't scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as the merchandise selection goes. Most of the blouses were priced at $59.90 - $69.90, and the two dresses were in the $79.90 - $89.90 range. A virtual steal at over 70% off of retail prices!!

I got so overwhelmed by how many cute things they had (in my size too!), that I got a little trigger happy. My package came in the other day, and here's what I got:

I had my eye on this navy Scotland dress in the cotton horsebit pattern over a year ago, so I was super psyched to be able to finally snag it!

I fell in love with the oversize houndstooth print of this one, and I love that it's silk. I think it's the perfect dress to wear to the business dinners that my hubby drags me to sometimes:)

Surprisingly, this one is probably my favorite. It's more of a tunic style, and doesn't have the typical EMcKay ruffle detail, but it's much more versatile. And I have a pair of red Tory flats that go perfectly with it too.

And I love the silk purple feather print of this Elizabeth ruffle blouse:

I think I can wear it all the way through Spring and Summer with some white skinnies or white shorts.

If you missed the Rue sale, you can still find Elizabeth McKay on sale on other websites too! It's not as heavily discounted as RueLaLa, but prices can be 30-50% off retail.

Shop EMcKay sales:

Elizabeth McKay official website - SALE

Country Club Prep - EMcKay SALE

Village Vogue - Elizabeth McKay

Jane & Georgie - Elizabeth McKay SALE

Happy Shopping!!

The Bathroom Reveal

2013-02-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

Drumroll please......

Our bathroom renovation is finally done!

Here is the finished product:

I think it turned out really well, don't you? Special thanks to our diligent contractor, Matt Ferguson with Stirling Group.

I'm not finished accessorizing the shelves in the alcove yet, and I've yet to add curtains to the window, but it's getting there. I'm contemplating getting a new shower curtain from Etsy.... maybe white with our monogram in grey?

Here's where I got everything:

Vanity: Kitchen & Bath Collection (in L.A., but you can order online)

Light Fixtures: Lee Lighting -

Hardware: Martha Stewart for Home Depot

Glass containers: Michaels

Mirrors: Pottery Barn

Faucets: Perrin & Rowe by ROHL

Shower head and temp control: Delta

Tile: The Tile Shop

Soap Dispensers: Target

Thrifty Thursday: Luxe Outfit for Less

2013-02-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to stop being a slacker and do a blog post. Yay! Things are starting to settle down with the house (finally!), so hopefully i'll be able to find time to post more regularly from now on:)

I've also decided to start doing something each week called "Thrifty Thursday": every Thursday I'll post an outfit from my closet with items that are under $100, and I'll tell you where to get everything from! About half of my closet is designer (most of which I got on sale, thank you very much) and the other half is trendy cheap stuff. I like to mix and match the pieces.

Today's Thrifty Thursday Outfit:

I decided to keep it simple today since I have to run errands, and use one of my favorite recent purchases: a navy and white gingham shirt from Old Navy. The pants are actually emerald/kelly green, but they look jade in the picture

Where you can get it:

Top: Old Navy $14.99 (on sale)
*This is currently sold out online, but is available in stores for a cheaper price!

Bottoms: Old Navy $21.99 (on sale + 20% off)

Shoes: Tory Burch $98.99 (on sale @ Monkee's)
*mine are old, but you can find similar ones on Ebay: Tory Burch Raffia Reva Flats

Bracelet: Target $8.99 (I can't find this online, but I know for a fact it's still available in stores)

Monogram Necklace: BaubleBar $89.00 (with new member coupon points)
*You must be a member to view this site, but I highly recommend signing up!

Cross Necklace: Francesca's $6.99

P.S.--- Old Navy is having an additional 15% off today!!

:)

One more room almost done!

2013-02-05T13:20:00.002-08:00

I never thought much of dining rooms, but now that ours is on it's way to being finished, I'm starting to change my mind. Here's a peek at our semi-finished formal dining room:

We took our old espresso wood dining set that we bought from Home Comfort several years ago, and tweaked it a little by adding custom upholstered benches from Ballard designs. It ended up giving a bit of an eclectic edge that made me fall in love with it all over again:)

The rug, which I was initially unsure about, is actually from one of Rugs USA's big 75% off sales. I picked it up online for a whopping $150, and now that it's in the room it works with our pillows without being too matchy-matchy. The pillows are from Etsy (of course!), and were originally destined for one of our guest rooms. They didn't work in there, so I ended up using them in the dining room.....it ended up being a happy accident in the end.

We inherited these lamps from my husband's late father..... I cleaned them up and got them working again, and how they are both beautiful and sentimental. The lampshades were $10 at Garden Ridge, and all I did was spray paint them with Rustoleum's Glossy navy blue, and voila! (Have I mentioned before how much I love spray paint?)

This silver plated trophy that we are using to hold flowers was our first purchase after we moved to Charlotte. We went to this big antique flea market one weekend, and found a vendor that had all sorts of sterling silver and silver-plated goodies. I fell in love with this one, and my hubby negotiated it down for an awesome price.

Our makeshift bar is from Lee Lighting, and I was super excited that we found it on sale. I can't wait to accessorize it.

Our console/buffet is actually 2 Ikea Expedit series bookcases on their sides, stacked on top of each other. We had one mounted floating on a wall at our old place, but we were too scared to try the same technique on our plaster walls. My husband came up with the idea of buying another one and just stacking them to give us more storage. Not too shabby for a guy, right? We are ordering doors for the cubbies, and will be adding wood fretwork to them to give it a custom look. More pics to come of that.....whenever I get around to it!

The mirror above our buffet is something I found at Carolina Pottery. It was a weird grayish-bronze metal color, so I just spray painted it with several different tones of gold spray paint. I like it much better now. I think I've developed an addiction for these types of mirrors now! lol

We got really lucky since all the sconces and chandeliers came with the house, and I think they fit perfectly.

Our dining room is right next to our kitchen, so we have been using it a lot more than I thought. We can't wait to have our first dinner party so we can have a full table!

The Finished Living Room

2013-01-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

My first priority the day that all of our stuff was delivered was to unpack, place all the furniture, and then decorate our living room. Since it is really the main living area, I knew that we'd be spending lots of time in the room, so it was important to get it ready to go as quickly as possible. 48 hours later, here is what the finished product looked like:

One of my favorite things in the entire space is my coffee table. If you remember from an earlier post, my hubby and I found the table at a lighting store (of all places! lol) called Lee Lighting in Huntersville. We were there on a trip to find light fixtures for our bathroom, but when I saw that they were having a 50% off sale on furniture, I knew that this gilt and mirror table had to come home with me! It's just the right proportions, and I think it makes the room.

Don't you love how my little guy Donut is snuggled up on the couch? lol He just loves this room... I swear that dog might as well be a cat as much as he likes to sun himself.

The rug is something I picked up from the 75% off sale that Rugs USA was having back in October. I wasn't sure how it would blend with all the other patterns in the room, but now that it's in, I like it. Plus, it was a steal, which makes me like it even more. :)

The bookcases are from Target (circa 2007), and to make them look less cheap, I removed the back lining so that you could see all the way through the shelves to the wall color. After they were accessorized, you can hardly tell what they were before.

I made most of the pillows and slipcovers in the room with fabric that I got from a local store, but the chevron pillows (and lampshades) are from Target. The teal fretwork pillows are my inspiration for the entire room, and I ordered them from Caitlin Wilson Textiles.

I'm also super excited about our wooden monograms that just came in from Southern Proper Monograms.

We ordered two: a larger one for our front door (which I will post after we get our new door put in), and a medium sized one for our sunroom door. I spray painted it black with Rustoleum (good for outdoors). Because there's no way to hang the monogram from the center without it tilting, I had to improvise and get creative with some wired ribbon. The finished product is pretty cute!

Don't worry, we are replacing that ugly doorknob and lock-set. I want something that has a more decorative lever handle... hopefully we'll get that done soon!

I'll be posting more of the rest of the house soon!

Kitchen Update

2013-01-23T09:54:00.002-08:00

Sorry I've been blog-absent.... moving has been crazy! It will never cease to amaze me just how much paper and cardboard you have left over after you unpack everything. But after all is said and done, we are FINALLY in the house and it is starting to look like home:)

Here is an update on the progress with our kitchen remodel:

** UPDATE **

To see our styled and finished kitchen, visit my home tour:

UPDATED FINISHED KITCHEN

Our home was also featured in Charlotte Home & Garden magazine (Spring 2014) -- you can see that article here:

DIY In Plaza Midwood

Getting our countertops in and our dishwasher/stove installed was quite a process, but the kitchen actually looks like a kitchen now that everything is in!

I especially love our ROHL faucet. Finding a polished nickel faucet that worked in our kitchen was a pain in the behind (and cost a fortune!), but I'm really happy with the one that we chose.

When I decided to save money by using hardware from Home Depot (Martha Stewart line), I wasn't sure if they would look cheap next to everthing else in the kitchen..... but the other options were $80 each, versus $5 each for the Martha Stewart ones, so I figured it was worth a shot. After they were installed on the cabinets, they ended up looking pretty darn seamless with all the other polished nickel fixtures.

We found our kitchen chairs at Furniture Row in Charlotte, and I think they fit pretty well with the overall look of the room. The chairs are actually counter height, since both our desk and bar area are 34' high. They came with black cushions (yuck!), so I recovered them with some fabric that I found at Hancock Fabrics for $7. Fortunately, the fabric is made by Premier Prints, so I'm having this lady on Etsy make matching roman shades for all of the windows.

I'm not done accessorizing yet, but I think i'm going for a mixture of glossy white and shiny silver accents.

(P.S. - I'm super glad my husband talked me into having under cabinet lights installed....

totally worth it!)

I'll stop being a slacker and try to be better about posting more house updates this week! :)

Our Big Floor Surprise

2013-01-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

So.....

During the course of our renovations, our original inlaid wood floors in the kitchen have become scratched and damaged (severely scratched in some areas). So much so, in fact, that my husband decided that he wanted to refinish them right after the cabinet installation was completed.

Our floor refinishing guy Chad showed up the first day, and he sanded all of the top poly coats and the stain off of the floor to expose the raw wood. And guess what he found? Our floors are actually Brazilian Cherry.

That's right. Brazilian Cherry. Allow yourself a moment to let that sink in.

Yup! Holy Crap!! We were pretty much shocked. I mean, first of all, where on EARTH did these people get the money in 1941 to put in Brazilian Cherry hand-laid parquet floors? (Backstory: Our house was built by the wealthy old-Charlotte Victor family for their newlywed daughter and her husband back in 1941) Pretty crazy stuff.

We decided to do a light ebony, which is several shades darker than the floors were before....but not too dark where it doesn't fit with the rest of the house. It came out nice, don't you think? The final super shiny poly coat goes on tomorrow, then we are good to go :)

Our light fixtures for the bathroom went up today, and they look pretty sharp!

It's going to be interesting to see how all of the fixtures blend together. Everything is polished nickel, but the light fixtures are a lot more modern than the vanity hardware and the faucets. Hopefully everything ends up blending well. I'm excited to see what it all looks like when the faucets and towel bars go in on Monday.

Have a great weekend! :)

We Have A Kitchen!

2013-01-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well, at least we have part of a kitchen! lol

We had a break for Christmas, but since then it's been super busy in the house. Our kitchen cabinets are now in, and they are beauuuuuutiful.

Our cabinets are the KraftMaid solid maple Torrington style, and we purchased them (as well as the installation) through Home Depot. I wasn't sure about the whole thing at first, but trust me, they do a great job; it's worth every penny.

You know what they say, it's "all in the details", so I really tried to put a lot of thought into the small things that make a subtle difference in the overall feel of the room.

Glass "X" Mullion doors:

High Double Crown Molding:

Polished Nickel Pulls (Martha Stewart Living from Home Depot!):

Roll-out Spice Rack and Storage drawer:

Built-In Cutlery Organizer:

Trash/Recycling Pull-Out Drawer:

We are still waiting on a few things (like one of our glass doors is on backorder), and the shoe molding and some trim still needs to be installed, but you can finally get an idea of what the finished product will look like. It's so neat to see all of the research, planning, and hardwork starting to pay off! Next stop....Carrara marble countertop installation next week!