{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!

Kitchens...

Here are some kitchens I have saved. I just love that chalkboard wall with the metal sliding pantry doors. This was in the Cottage Living idea house last year in New Orleans. LOVED that house! The white kitchen with the tricycle was in Country Living, I believe. It is my favorite one I think. I have managed to use some of the elements from most of these kitchens in my own. My cabinets are painted white and I have a stainless restaurant kitchen worktable for an island, although mine is not on wheels like the one pictured here. I have the schoolhouse ceiling fixture. I also have a porcelain sink, but mine is not the pretty apron front kind. I have painted wood floors done in black/white diagonal checks. They are 18 inch square and I wish I had done them larger, maybe 22 inch. The fab kitchen pictured with the huge chalkboard is in the home of Cottage Living style editor, Heather Chadduck. Although my stove is old like Heather's, it is not exactly the same one. I have a 1947 (??) O'Keeffe and Merritt gas stove and I love it. I had searched for one like my grandmother had, but found this one instead. It was an estate sale find. I'll have to blog about how I got it. Heather's kitchen has a blue/gray ceiling. Mine will too, if I ever finish it. I've splotched, just need to complete the job! The paint color is called hazy sky by Wal-Mart color place paint. FYI, I have used this brand in several different colors and have always been pleased with the quality. The kitchen with the blue chairs is in the new September issue of Cottage Living. I just love all those windows and I like how they are painted a darker color. My kitchen has the old fashioned crank out window above the sink...maybe I should paint it a darker color. In my dream kitchen I would have white subway tiles with grey grout. In the all white kitchen pictured, I just love the narrow window. I have one little built in corner shelving thing that I have struggled to figure out what I want to put there. My precious friend Holly (http://www.hollymathisinteriors.com/) suggested a collection of creamers. I like that idea and have one to get me started. Just need to hit the estate sales to find more! Share with me your kitchens or dream kitchen ideas!

reBeLLioUs (southern) belle....

After reading what Mrs. Rauth ( check out her cute blog here http://therauths.blogspot.com/) had to say about my white after labor day thread, I decided that I just might be a wild one and indeed wear white after Labor Day. Actually, I found this cute pair of jeans on a clearance rack for less than 4.00. It was meant to be. I think I'll get the bag, too. I will however restrain myself and not wear the jeans and carry the purse at the same time ;).

White, after Labor Day?

I am a Southern girl and growing up as one, I was brought up with the knowledge that one doesn't wear white after Labor Day or before Easter. Ever since I saw Jennifer Aniston in Rumor Has It carrying a white purse, I've thought I would like to have one, but I've never really found one I liked until now. But is it truly too late in the season to get/carry one? I saw this http://www.target.com/Merona-Tote-Bag-Ivory/dp/B0017ZOK6W/qid=1219446856/ref=br_1_4/602-6609407-8247801?ie=UTF8&node=12940951&frombrowse=1&rh=tgt%5F2%3AWhite&page=1 at Target recently. In person, this tote size purse is cute and definitely more ivory colored than what is pictured here. My question...Do you wear white or carry white purses after Labor Day? I'm tempted to get and save for the spring, but by then there will probably be one out I like better. My friend says that winter white is okay. Tell me your thoughts!

{fashionably} target....

I may or may not have spent an hour shopping in target tonight. Oh who am I kidding?!? I love target, don't you?? There was a girl at church this morning that had this dress on and carrying this purse. She looked so cute! So, I went to see if I could find a new purse and I spied the one she had and then later saw the dress! This dress is adorable on and will be very comfortable, too! It is longer on me than on this model and comes just above my knees. I love the purse, too! So, run, don't walk, to target and get all this too! I checked out the shoes while I was there and there is one pair of moccasins that I may just have to go back and get! Here are the links!

The dress... http://www.target.com/Juniors-Xhilaration-Bubble-Sleeve-Dress-Ebony/dp/B001BC8Y5Y/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/602-6609407-8247801

The purse...
http://www.target.com/Merona-4-Poster-Hobo-Bag-Tan/dp/B0018953WM/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_3/602-6609407-8247801

and the shoes http://www.target.com/Merona-Meghan-Bow-Moccasins-Patent/dp/B0017T6ZB6/qid=1219028313/ref=br_1_3/602-6609407-8247801?ie=UTF8&node=13851741&frombrowse=1&rh=tgt%5F1%3AMoccasins&page=1s...

Ballard Designs pillow...

Has anyone ever gotten one of these pillows from Ballard Designs? I am curious about the quality. I am wanting a pillow for a red, floral chair in my den. It came with a pillow that is the same fabric as the chair, but I think it needs a solid pillow. I am thinking the brown one. But which monogram? Since it's for my den, I think one of the more simple ones. Maybe style 14 or 17? OR I could do my house number?! http://www.ballarddesigns.com/Linens-Fabrics/Throw-Pillows/Ballard-Basic-Pillow-Cover-Only/p/3519?path=1%2C2%2C1465%2C1516%2C0&iProductID=3519

ikea {part three}

One other thing on my list is the lack table. I'm thinking I might like a pair of these used as a coffee table in my living room. Still thinking on what color to get. The black, black/brown or white. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40104270 The living room picture is from Cottage Living magazine. It is from an article on Fran Keenan's darling house in their November 07 issue. http://www.cottageliving.com/cottage/homes/article/0,21135,1671491,00.html

my ikea list {part one}...

Oh how I wish I lived closer to IKEA. That store is just plain fun! I have a stainless restaurant work table in my kitchen that I use as an island. I want these bar stools to go with it. I think they will look good. I plan to get two. I'd like to have the number 1 and 2 embroidered on the back. Just not sure how that would hold up to washing. That's what is great about the covers on these chairs. They are removable and washable! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09850242

lamps, wal-mart, really?

I really like this lamp and I think it would give a cute modern touch to a room. I just wish it were 2 times the size it comes in. A pair of them would make such great bedside table lamps. I might just have to order it for a little spot in my living room. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5086307

Bedroom inspirations...

I just love this oriental toile by waverly. It has become so hard to find. If anyone knows of a source, let me know! I plan to use it to cover a big lumbar pillow for my bed. I want to find a diamond patterned cotton coverlet for my bed, too. And this ruffled duvet cover to top it off! http://www.laylagrayce.com/detail.aspx?ID=201