pictures on canvas...

One of these days when I am finally blessed with a child, I am so going to do a large picture like the one I have pictured here and I think it would look so good on canvas. The big, precious picture above the armoire is of Katie Brown's daughter and this is in Katie Brown's home. It has been featured in Country Home and Cottage Living. Her home is just darling and I love her mix of unique elements. Erin of Elements of Style recently posted some pictures of a condo she decorated. It featured wonderful pictures on canvas. Here is a link to where you can send in your own pictures and they can put them onto canvas. I love this look. I found this image via here!

{billy reid}...

I had the opportunity to go into this fAbULoUs clothing store this past week. Just like with Anthropologie, I could easily move in and LIVE here. The interior looks like the inside of an old, southern house. It has wood floors, oriental rugs and vintage items displayed. It would be so fun to work there! There was one table that had a big, tall, glass vase filled with lots of little branches. Such a simple, easy to do thing. Inside the store, they were burning this Henri Bendel candle. It was just a perfect scent for this store. If you go here, you can click on each of the stores for a slide show of the interiors of each one. When I saw this blog on a new JCrew men's store, it reminded me of Billy Reid. If you ever have a chance to go into this store, do so!

taRgET {deals}...

No week is complete for me without a trip to Target! I recently got these shoes. I think they are going to look good with my black toes ;). They are low enough to be comfortable for wearing all day, yet will look like I'm wearing much taller heels with longer jeans and pants. The color is darker than this in person and I think they will look good with lots of colors. They had them in bronze on the website, but are no longer available. I would have liked those, too.

I first started thinking about this bag when I saw it here. I went to Target to check it out and got it. I brought it home and then decided to return it. I wasn't sure about it, but I kept thinking about it. The thing with Target is when things go on clearance you can get stuff at such low prices. So when I spotted the bag for a mere 5.75, I knew it had to come home with me permanently! Notice it was even featured in this great article! It is a big bag, but I love that it can hold lots.

a walk on the *WiLd* side...

I got a much needed pedicure today. This is the color I went with. I like it although it is a huge change from my usual colors. I normally wear a french baby pink, a light cafe latte color, or go bare, but I thought for fall I'd give this a try. Do you wear black polish?

Fall tables...

Here are some pretty tables that remind me of Thanksgiving and the fall season. I just love the monogram flatware, hemstitch napkin and ironstone. This was put together by Eddie Ross. This image is from here. I love it all, too!

(foo) dogs...

Pier One has these foo
dogs on clearance for under 10.00 each. They are available in turquoise or orange. What are your thoughts? Yes, no?? I think they might be kind of fun for a mantel, nightstand, or on a sideboard in the dining room.

More kitchen love...

Cottage Living does it again! Add this kitchen to my list. This one is featured in the November/December issue of Cottage Living. I haven't gotten mine yet, but I saw it on the website and can't wait to see the article. Anne Turner Carroll, an assistant decorating editor at CL, has done a wonderful job with her kitchen reno. I love the subway tile, shelves, lighting and the french doors. Notice her brown hemstitched napkins. Love those and want some! I like all her topiaries, too. If you are looking for some nice ones, I have two of the one I have pictured from Crate and Barrel. Love them!

Target...

Target gets so much of my money! They never disappoint! I just love these and these. So cute with sweaters and jeans! I hope they hurry and get them back in stock.

{cozy} bedroom...

I am so ready for a change in my master bedroom. There are only two ways to arrange the furniture in that room and I think it's time to move it all the other way. It would give it a fresh feel and help my feelings too. Almost like I have something new! My bedroom is tiny. It is an old house and so doesn't have huge rooms like newer houses. I'm not complaining. I love my old house! I am thinking of going dark in that room. I think a dark paint color would give a fun contemporary touch to it. I love this room featured in Cottage Living. It is the bedroom of Lee Kleinhelter, owner of Pieces in Atlanta. I could never be brave enough to do the dark ceiling like she did, but I think it does give the room a nice, cozy, cocoon feeling and the glossy paint adds some glam. I think the yellow lamps are fun and I love the white bedding and tufted headboard. I know for my bed, I want to do a white diamond matelasse coverlet and this ruffled duvet. I want to get this fabric and do one big, lumbar pillow and then two big, simple, white shams to go with it. Maybe I should be on the search for yellow
lamps, too?



This bedroom belongs to Tia Zoldan. It was also featured in Cottage Living, but was painted a different color at the time. Love this rich color. Any guesses as to what it might be? Again, love the white bedding and the headboard.





This is Ruthie Sommers brown bedroom. Did you know she is closing her store? I found this image and Lee's bedroom via style court.








This is a picture from the store Dovecote. I loved the color and called the store to see what it was. It is called Mouse's Back by Farrow and Ball. Thoughts on the color?

HaLLoWeEN...

I love halloween and each year I want to have a party, but never seem to get it together. Look how cute this trick or treat party invitation is!! http://www.myhomeideas.com/myhome/holidays has some great ideas for a halloween party. I think the urn idea I have pictured is cute and looks really simple to do. Check out all the halloween videos here. I like those bottle candlesticks. It's too late for me to throw something together this year as our friends have already done something, but maybe I can be more organized next year! I still want to do this and I think it would be perfect for November!

(JCrew) how I love you...

I am loving the September JCrew catalogue. Yes, I know it is now October. I have gotten some great ideas from it. I am so not fashion savvy, but I'm trying. I like how jcrew puts things together, but for my budget, not so much. Here are some outfits I like. I love this argyle sweater paired with the pearls and dark jeans. This sweater is 158.00. It is cashmere, but I did find a great alternative here for less than 20.00. I got it in the vermont orange and pale ale colors. I've recently gotten some great jeans, now all I need is to find a long pearl necklace to finish the look!

I wish I were about 10 years younger so I could pull this look off. This is just so cute! This purse is 298.00, but this one at Old Navy for less than 15.00 might work. I like it in the gray color actually.

This whole look is just darling! I found a ribbed tank practically just like this in this color at JCP on clearance for less than 5.00 last week. I got it in brown and a great teal blue, too. It's perfect for layering under a jean jacket. For wonderful fashion tips, go here and here!

ikea {part two}

I *think* (I am always changing my mind :) I'd like these grommet curtains for my family room. I saw a great idea in the newest edition of The New Decorating Book by Better Homes and Gardens. The owner had used electrical conduit pipe to hang her curtains. It is silver pipe that is easily found at Lowe's or Home Depot, not to mention cheap, too! She had pretty black and white damask curtains hanging from hers. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40111987

*I just figured out today I had not published this entry. It was in my drafts!

*TJ Maxx*...

TJMaxx let me down yesterday. I didn't see what I was looking for. However, they did not let me down a few months ago. I got the shorter, round vase pictured here, that I had been wanting for so long. I've seen it at Anthropologie and online for about 60.00 (ish). I paid only 12.99 for mine. I was thrilled the day I spotted this sitting on the shelf at TJ's because I knew how much they were going for elsewhere. I now want to find the tall, oval one in the picture. So, I'll be on the lookout! If you want one like mine, Sundance has them on sale for about 30.00. Still not bad considering how much they were originally. Vivaterra has them, too.

I {heart} this...

I love this!! It is just so sweet looking and I like that it is flat on the bottom. This would be so pretty on my chest of drawers holding my pearls and other necklaces. Where or where can I find it?? If you know, spill! In the meantime, I'll be stopping by tjmaxx tomorrow afternoon to see if they might have something similar. Even though they might have something similar, I want THIS one! It was in the January 2008 issue of Blueprint magazine. If anyone has that magazine, would you please look to see if it lists a source? Thanks!

gALleRy (walls)...

I have some blank space on my living room wall and have decided that I want a gallery wall. I have been collecting inspiration pictures and collecting frames to do this. Let's take a look at my pictures and then help me make some decisions.

This image is from Domino, I think. I love the big,

white mats.

This is from the September issue of Domino magazine via M-A Belle's blog. I love the mirror and the mix of small and larger pictures. I have a small concave mirror I want to use on my wall.

These two are from M-A-Belle's darling NYC apartment. Look at that cute zebra rug!

This is in Erin's (Elements of Style) darling home.

This is a gallery wall in the home of Anne Turner Carroll, one of the editors of Cottage Living. Urban Grace Interiors has a fun interview with her here.

I LOVE this one from Holly Mathis Interiors.

After looking at all these, does anything go as far as creating a gallery wall? Is it okay to mix landmark pictures with pictures of flowers? What about framed papers? Or should I just stick to one theme? Also, what about mixing in empty frames? Let me hear your ideas and feel free to leave a link to places where I can get even more ideas!

soup@seven

I found this September/October issue idea via Brown Turtleneck Sweater. This is perfect for a casual fall dinner party. I just love soup with great bread. Click on the image to see details. Don't you love the invitation? It's simple and easy. You could hand deliver and use vintage flatware found so cheap and some twine. Darling!

Fashion (magazines)....

I just got my first issue of a new subscription to Domino magazine today. I know I am going to enjoy it and will add it to my other addiction pile, I mean magazine pile ;). I get plenty of home magazines. Hey, it's cheap entertainment! However, I am wanting to start subscribing to a fashion magazine. I want something that will give me ideas to work with what I have or enough of an idea that I can re-create the look on a Target, Old Navy, etc. budget ;) My friend is planning to subscribe to Lucky. So, what are your favorite fashion magazines?

Black *interior* doors...

I have been thinking about painting my interior doors of my 1940's cottage black. I am just having trouble with the commitment part. I think it looks so good in pictures and makes such an impact. I've tried black outside doors before and I didn't care for it. But, they did have a screen or glass door in front and I think I didn't care for the combination of the two. I have several inspiration pictures to share.

These two pictures are of the home of fab blogger Courtney from Inside the Loop. You can see the sliver of black door in the brown room picture just to the left. Isn't that a great brown wall color?! AND look at that wonderful imperial trellis wallpaper!
These are from the blog m-a-belle . I just love this whole house!

This kitchen door is in the home of designer Tia Zoldan. You may recognize it in it's "before" state when it was featured in Cottage Living.













This one is also from Cottage Living. I might get brave and do my hallway french door.













This is from Domino Magazine. I can't tell if it is black or a deep blue.

These are from Style Court of Kate Spade's apartment. Notice her black doors!

Please share with me any links to pictures you may have of black interior doors! Or, if you've done this, let me know how you like it!

{yellow} obsession...

I have suddenly started really being into the color yellow when I haven't been so much before. Just look how cute these target shoes are on this blogger! I love how this sweater looks with the dark wash jeans. I could see a white top layered under it. This top is cute, too. Of course Target would have to be out of this yellow purse Just look how cute Kate Spade's yellow sweater is! And aren't these darling for wearing with all this yellow? Why can't jcrew have target prices? ;) That would look so cute with these. Share some of your favorite yellow fashions with me!