tickled

Over the past few years, pink has crept into my color wheelhouse.
I am a major neutral girl, you see. And as a redhead, pink was always one of those no-no colors (along with most any "warm" shades). So Molly Ringwald wore it and looked pretty darn good doing so, but it's just not a color I can pull off.

Although I don't wear it, pink has snuck its way into my life through other avenues. I love it on lips, nails, and purses, but I especially adore it as an accent color in decor.

How I would love to use pink.

How I actually use pink.

How do you wear/decorate/accessorize pink?
Oh, and Happy Valentine's, friends. I hope it's your best one yet.

images // 1, 2

an extra $250

That's all I need.

west elm perfection

It's hard to believe, but I don't think I've written about my love of blue & white on this here blog before.

Note to self: write a post on blue & white obsession. 

If you're interested in what other color combos I adore, check out my "color combos" Pinterest board. (So creatively named, I know.)

I'm also quite sure I haven't disclosed my love of elephants (or seahorses or owls) on the old blog. There's so much more for me to share with you all, and I'm so glad you're following along.

mason jar chandys

First item of note today: All six of my crazy friends landed safely after free-falling from a plane for 90 seconds at 120 mph. Needless to say, I went to church Sunday night to give a little extra *thanks*.

After the long afternoon in the sun, the last thing I wanted to do was go to an outdoor concert. But that's what I did. Old Crow Medicine Show only comes to Kansas City but once a year, and Blue Eyes and I were not going to miss seeing (and singing to) Wagon Wheel in person.

Ketch, Willie and the rest of the band were amazing live! If they come to a town near you, please do yourself a favor and go to their show. Not only is the music and entertainment factor a wow, but the stage decor was possibly my favorite. Ever.

Pretty chevron lights lit up the backdrop and mason jar chandeliers hung from the catwalk.

The whole mason-jar-as-decor thing is not new. Especially if you've been on Pinterest since last June, you've most likely seen the same mason jar pins be recycled and repinned over and over. I do still enjoy a good mason jar vase, but there was something so rustic and whimsy and perfect about these chandys at the concert. I wish I had a better picture than the above. It doesn't give the chandeliers justice at all.

Can't get enough of mason jar chandys now? Me neither. I would love to host a party or shower where I could put these to use!

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high gloss high glam

While pre-drinking before the bars a few weeks ago (wait - can every post start like this??) I was talking to a friend whose parents were just finishing redecorating their entire house. She was describing some of the big changes, and one really stuck with me; they painted all the doors (or maybe just all on the main floor?) high gloss black. So I've compiled some examples found on Pinterest, but may I say, pictures of high gloss black doors are pretty scarce on the internets. Maybe I'll just have to take a road trip to Sabetha and snap some photos of my friend's parents' glammed up house!

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Top 5 Tuesday: lonny nov/dec issue

Well this was again very difficult to narrow down my five favorite finds from this past issue of Lonny. And as promised, I'm a month late. So without further adieu narrative, here they are!

1. the luxe life

Celerie Kemble designs

 OMG that chandelier!!! I will probably get excommunicated for saying this, but I really dislike chandeliers. I think they are gaudy and downright offensive in most living spaces. However; this 1970s Italian glass leaf chandelier is simply glamazing in a feminine, eclectic way. Now take your eyes away from the light fixture, and you'll see the table is set with my new favorite tableware: Goldware! 

2. Jonathan Adler

needlepoint zodiac pillows

Lonny did a 10-page spread on Jonathan Adler for this issue. I've always loved his whimsy, happy and irreverent (his word, not mine!) style, and wanted to know more about who he is and how he tapped in to that fun-ness, oh and made *tons* of money off it. Well Lonny readers, most of those answers are in the mag! You'll get an inside look of his office, which I want to steal the cork wall idea for huge inspiration boards. 

3. hints of peacock

I have a similar vase with peacock feather in my living room right now. It brings some height and texture to an otherwise neutral space. The chair is called Peacock chair, produced by Shi & Erhard. How cute would this be in a master bedroom, or even better, screened-in porch??

4. diy

Some of the beautiful pieces in this Manhattan living room definitely belong in the luxe life section, but the part of this space I want to focus on are the blinds. They are from Sears, and the owner (Lonny's features editor) used Gorilla Glue and brown velvet to make them one-of-a-kind. What a great idea.... this is going to Pinterest for future use.

5. really great quotes/advice

"Carrie Fisher says that what you hang on your bedroom walls is what you want for your life. Yikes. So I've made a concerted effort to surround myself with images that move and uplift me." - Robert Leleux, Lonny's features editor

Advice from Jonathan Adler. I will take it!!

diy: ornament wreath

Who else gets the creative bug over the holiday season? Hobby Lobby was having a huge sale on their Christmas decorations last week, so I decided to make an ornament wreath like the ones I have been obsessed with on Pinterest lately. 

I wish I would've taken more pictures of the process, but I was way too wrapped up in hot glue gun string to grab my iPhone. Here's a picture of the final product, a silver and gold wreath with a little K-State purple sprinkled in. 

All you need is a large styrofoam wreath (found in the gardening section), about 100 ornaments of 3 different sizes, a hot glue gun, and ribbon to hang the wreath afterwards. I glued the 4 large silver balls first and then started filling in. I like that the ornaments have a bunch of different textures: some look like disco balls, some are matte and others are glittery!

Top 5 Tuesday: lonny sept/oct issue

Lonny .... need I say more? One of the best decor mags out there, and even though I wish I could afford it in print, they made it super easy to clip and save and reference their lovely finds. (thank you for that!!)

Between all the print magazines I subscribe to (Vanity Fair, Lucky, Elle Decor, K-State Alumni Association) I sometimes forget to indulge in the newest Lonny until the second month in *case in point*. So here are my five favorite looks from this past issue. It was so tough to only pick five, I might have to have a supplemental T5T next week!!

1. glam, eclectic

inside architect Carlo Mollino's Italian apartment

It's no secret I love blue and white (hello fabulous floor!), the gold door is super glammy but not overly extravagant, and the use of books (obsession #1) is unexpected.

2. neutral, tranquil

What's not to love about this calming neutral color palette? I keep seeing friends repin similar interiors on Pinterest and agree that the whites, grays, beiges and tans go beautifully together. I can't get enough of the giraffe pillows!

3. fun, whimsy

I have a mirrored wall in my apartment and love the spaciousness and how it opens a room. Small details like the seashell-backed chairs, rug pattern and vintage dandelion chandelier make this room so interesting. There's probably 50 other cool funky things to be discovered in this one picture.

4. shiny, bold

Lacquered wall in peacock tone (obsession #2) makes this oak secretary pop, where it easily could have been hidden with a more muted color behind it. Love everything about this.

5. adventurous, vibrant

Can you believe this wallpaper came from SkyMall? For serious! I love that bathroom visitors can reminisce where they've traveled, and what's next, while washing up. The mirror is perfection. I'm thinking Blue Eyes would love this in the bathroom. I fly next week, I'll definitely be checking out SkyMall!

thought for the day

“I must have books everywhere. They’re the soul of a room — they reveal the taste, the interests, and the secrets of whoever lives there." - Diane Von Furstenberg


I saw this quote Monday from belle maison (amazing blog!). I read it, liked it, and moved along with my day. Then I went to dinner at Urban Table, a wonderful new restaurant in Prairie Village, with my dear high school friends on Tuesday. After delicious bruschetta, a few glasses of wine, lots of laughter and discussing our bucket lists (more on that later), we were each presented with our bills - in a book! Not just random paper backs, either. These were first and second generation classics, five of the six I'm embarrassed to say I'd never heard of. 


I'm not going to sit here and say I'm an old soul or a reading machine, although I'd really like to be both. But there's something about books that make a home, party or purse 1,000 times more interesting. You just can't do that with a Kindle. So yet again, DVF is right on point. Love her.


Books don't have to be displayed in the typical fashion, either. I love these examples of books being used as decor, in anything but a bookshelf. 

houzz.com

 Stacked books make a table. 

prettychicblog.dk

Wedding decor. Need to keep this in mind if I ever get a fiance.....

havenandhome.blogspot.com

Stacked in the fireplace.  

Maydecemeberhome.blogspot.com

 Floating bookshelves. The referenced blog gives a DIY tutorial. So cute and practical for apartment dwellers.

fall obsession: burlap

I am a big fan of the oatmeal / tan / greige color scheme, and have noticed lately that burlap has been blowing up on Pinterest. I like this A LOT. Not only for wedding decor (which is so romantic in a "I'm more laid back than silk and lace" way) but in furniture, decor and accessories too! Here are some recent favorites:

TOMS $54

Louis XIII inspired burlap chair. Restoration Hardware.

Burlap seahorse pillow from www.domestically-speaking.com

Alexander Wang Adele clutch

Green vases

Last month, my roommate and I hosted a little Kentucky Derby party. Our goal was to make it more domestic than our typical parties (where our decorations consist of beer bottles and various assortment of leftover holiday napkins), but to do so on a budget.

My favorite thing that came out of the Derby party (other than our delicious mint juleps) was our green idea to reuse wine bottles and empty mason alfredo sauce jars as the vases for the flowers. Next time I'll take better pics...

I think this will become a staple for our future parties/showers!

Chalk it up

I am your typical oldest child, type A list-maker, task crosser-outer with an affinity for pretty, creative and eclectic things. Basically, I have a constant right brain/left brain battle. Examples: My planner is meticulously kept, but I write in purple felt pens and don't follow the lines. I have tons of cool ideas for projects that are stowed away in a small filing box in my linen closet.

Lately I've really been digging the flexibility and function of chalkboards. If I didn't live in a rental, you can bet I'd be going to Home Depot for chalkboard paint this week. Here are some of my recent favorites:

Mary Kate McDevitt via Studio Sweet Studio 

Pottery Barn

Apartment2024

500 Days of Summer

Wall space

If I had an office, these 5 pieces from Etsy (see caption for specific sellers) would be purchased and mounted without hesitation.

thebigharumph

CitrusTree

TypePosters

lisaweedn

dazeychic