Feeling Blue

I put an offer on a house yesterday... and I didn't get it. I'm pretty bummed. It was a beauty and it got away. 

And that's the end of my wallowing! Instead, I'm just going to continue to look forward to when I find the one {house and husband, of course... haha}.

One thing I realized as I was picturing myself in this home, is that I'm really craving a shade of relaxing blue in my bedroom. Here's some inspiration:

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domino

Cozy up? Don't mind if I do!

It All Started With a Rug

So I've been pinning the heck out of kilim rugs lately. 

left / center / right

Like I luff, lurve, love them. I think the colors are fantastic. I tend to lean towards the ones that have some pink in them {good thing I'm a single gal and don't have to pass my design decisions by a dude!}, a bright, vibrant magenta to be more specific. And a little navy/taupe/orange/yellow or combination thereof doesn't hurt either. These rugs are a fun way to incorporate a good dose of color! I want that one in the middle for an informal family room area. 

And if I could have one in my kitchen, too, I'd design my whole space around it, like so:

Rug: Sadly, no longer available, but a great inspiration for what I'll be looking for when I settle into my humble abode! {approx. $850}

Placemat: West Elm does a great version of the dip dye, but I've been itching to DIY something like this, too! {$14 for 2}

Copper Canisters: Loving touches of copper in design lately! It's a nice alternative to the traditional silver and gold. Plus, the texture of these guys is ahhh-mazing! {$90}

Table: Spoiler alert! I bought myself a kitchen table this past weekend. Who buys a kitchen table before she has a kitchen? This GIRL! It's not this one, it's better!!! But I'll save the big reveal for when it's parked in my place... soon! {$799}

Chair: Ya, no surprise here... love mixing in the industrial touch. My kitchen is meant to have these chairs {I've only talked about them here and here!}, although, I'm thinking the mint green is a must have for me, so I'll have to keep that in mind as I'm searching for my kilim. {$145}

Mia the Mixer: Of course she'll be front and center in my kitchen! {$450}

Art: Love the chalkboard look. Actually, I'm planning on incorporating a chalkboard wall in my future space, but a little touch on the inspiration board doesn't hurt! {$15}

Tea Towel: Pulling out some of the more understated colors in the kilim is a must. This little towel does just that! And it's a bargain. {$5}

Tea Cup: Of course I go for the polka dots. {$12}

So who wants to come over for dinner once this all comes together? Come one, come all!

Come and Knock On My Door

As I'm perusing houses and figuring out just what it is I want to buy, one thing is for sure... If a house wants me to notice it, it must have a brightly colored front door!

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Which would you pick???

The Small Joys

Still sending prayers and love to the city of Boston and all those affected by the tragic events.

When everything else in life seems heavy, sometimes I find comfort in the small things. No, I'm not trying to ignore the bad in the world, or pretend like nothing happened, but I find myself reaching for small joys, whether that be an extra smile from someone you love or something that puts a smile on your face. And in this case, something that brightens the smile on your face...

NARS Satin Lip Pencils. Ah-mazing.

NARS $25

Luxembourg is the first shade for my collection, but I think I need to add Yu and Palais Royal soon! This lip formula goes on smooth and wears like an extra rich stain. I find it an easier way to rock the more intense colors... hence my choices listed here!

A Little Color Never Hurts

So as I'm out and about on the hunt for my first house, I've noticed an interesting trend... I seem to like any house that has a bright front door! It's just so happy!

Well, in continuation of that theme, I also think bringing a little color inside is the key to a happy home! You know I've talked about it a bit here, here and here, but of course there's more...

A little color goes a long way! These cute side tables pack a punch. 

green / red / yellow / blue

I'll take one of each. Please and thank you!

Industrial Chic Strikes Again!

So I think industrial kitchen chairs are actually finding me now, rather than the other way around! I've already talked about the look here and here, but if I were to pull the trigger on incorporating them into my imaginary home today, I think I'd have to go for red!

Like so:

Censational Girl

Don't you just love the mix of the industrial chairs with the rustic farmhouse-like table? I think the pop of red is the perfect compliment to the worn-wood look.

Apartment Therapy

Well these chairs aren't necessarily industrial, but they are a great red! And those black french doors... LOVE.

Design Sponge

So much goodness in this picture! Love the aqua-teal wall color with the red chairs... Turquoise and Red have always been a fav color combo or mine, and this is a pretty lovely version. The table is also really interesting - from the shape, to the natural texture, to the industrial green legs. Also loving the rug. What am I not loving in this picture? That cra-cra-crazy chandelier. Eeeeek. Please exit stage left, crazy legs.

But like I said, versions of industrial chairs keep finding me! Don't know how they got my name or address, but Home Decorators Collection mysteriously sent me a random catalog the other day. What was in it? 

Tomato Red Industrial Chairs. Go figure. For indoors or out! Double bonus!

Industrial Chic 2.0

For as much as I think I am through and through classic when it comes to my style in decorating, it sure does seem like industrial influences {as mentioned here} keep catching my eye!

Traditional metal pieces can be just the neutral touch you need when you have a lot of color going on in your space without being boring, like so:

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Or add them in a fun color for a interesting twist:

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That picture above also features one of my other favorite kitchen ideas... chalkboard walls {house bucket list... of course!}.

But now the true question is, how would you choose a color? So many great options via Industry West:

I want them all! They would also make a great option for outdoor seating, too! 

Done and Done: Part 4... delayed

Tis the week I get back to business and back to my DIY projects. I promised to do 8 before Christmas, and this project marks that halfway point! Wahoo! Here are the first few if you're curious: 1, 2 and 3.

This week's project was inspired by a good old Anthro catalog. Gosh I love Anthropologie!

Using supplies I had left over from other projects, I made some fun and colorful magnets for my office. I chose patterns and colors in the photos of merchandise that I thought were bright and fun like so:

And with the help of the magnets, I traced circles over the colorful images, then simply cut them out... that being the most tedious part of the project! 

Then with the help of a little glue {I used a glue stick, but next time I would switch to spray adhesive} I had my finished product:

Already hard at work on my filing cabinet... I had to find some way to make a filing cabinet more fun!

Hope everyone has a great week! Thanks for stopping by :)

Crew Cuts

Oh my goodness! I know I already said when it comes to crafting, I want to be young again, but I'm having another case of 'let's turn back the hands of time!' 

I received a J. Crew Crew Cuts catalog in the mail and was seriously in love with every page. It was not the usual "awww that's so cute" sentiment when it comes to cute kiddos, but I was in love with the fashion in a "I want to wear that!" kind of way. 

I would take this little lady's wardrobe in a heartbeat:

www.jcrew.com

I better start saving my pennies now for my future mini fashionista. Thanks for the warning, J. Crew!

Wardrobe Re-Style

Do you ever buy those pieces that you feel like you can only wear one way? Well, I just purchased a military jacket for the fall and I am determined to take it past my day to day wardrobe of jeans and t's and make it work for dressy days too!

Take this jacket for example...

Current/Elliot Infantry Jacket

And wear it casually during the day by pairing it with a fun pair of colorful denim jeans and a classic denim button down:

And take that same jacket out for a night on the town! Complete the look with a silk top and fun skirt:

House Happy

So I've shared my dream of someday buying a house, but I have to admit that one of my biggest motivations to buy is so I can decorate any way I want! I'm a renter right now, so at times, my vision can be limited to what my landlord and lease say are ok. 

A great way to add life to your design when you are limited by a lease or even a budget, is to add pops of color, just like you do in your wardrobe.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Ok, so I realize #4 probably wouldn't fly in a rental, but I couldn't resist sharing. How cute is that yellow fireplace???