Eclectic Spring Tablescape

April 19, 2014

Happy Saturday!

It’s kind of a lazy day around my parts. I’m still getting caught up on laundry from my trip and working on setting up new items in my Etsy shop. Yesterday I was going to share a simple and eclectic tablescape I pulled together to celebrate spring and Easter but the day was gloomy and getting a decent picture was not in the cards. The sky today is still dreary but I was able to capture a few shots of the table.

I love to style tabletops and during the spring and summer eclectic and colorful is my style of choice.

For this spring centerpiece I used a collection of vintage and new pieces I had around the house.

The tulips and round greenery sphere are placed in a vintage trophy urns and a two large mercury glass balls are displayed under a glass cloche I picked up at a sample sale.

For the place setting I used black and white striped placemats from Ikea and a mix of plates from Target and HomeGoods. I made the polka dot napkins.

To add a pop of color, I filled a twig birds nest with colorful felt balls. The brass bird-cage adds to the eclectic mix.

We’re not doing anything major for Easter brunch but I will be adding a special Easter touch to the table tomorrow. I’ll pop in tomorrow and share it with you.

A City in Bloom–Highlights from my Washington DC trip!

April 18, 2014

Happy Friday!

We’ll I’ve finished going through the hundreds of pictures I took in Washington DC and have decided to break my blog post into two parts. Today I’m going to share the beautiful Cherry Blossoms that graced the city and next week I’ll be back with the highlight of the attractions and places I visited and a really cool thing that happened while I was there.

Enjoy part one of my adventure!

…

Read the Post

Easy and Stylish Last Minute Easter Decor Ideas

April 17, 2014

Hello there! I’m back from my trip to DC and getting back in the swing of work and blogging. My trip was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to share the photos with you. While I’m sorting through photos and doing laundry, I thought I’d bring you a few quick and easy Easter décor ideas since the big day is this Sunday.

I don’t do much decorating for Easter but I do like to have a touch of the holiday on my dining table. Ideas like these are super easy and quick to pull together and will definitely welcome Easter morning in style.

Paint, stickers or a little decoupage work and you can create a fun assortment of designer Easter eggs. I love the idea of creating a mix that matches your décor and not a traditional mix of pastels.

Blue and White Eggs

If you’re hosting Easter breakfast or dinner, this is an easy way to decorate the table. Use your paper shredder to create a bundle of paper that can be formed into the shape of a nest and then add a letter sticker to the outside of a plastic Easter egg. Cute and simple.

Monogram Egg

Looking for an Easter centerpiece idea? How about combining glass candlesticks, paper flowers and plastic eggs to create these cute Easter egg flowers.

Tip: If you don’t already own clear glass candlesticks, head to Dollar General where you’ll find different styles and sizes.

Easter Egg Flowers

I started collecting mis-matched egg cups and thing this would be a really great way to put them to use. Use decorative craft scissors to scallop the edge of cupcake liners to get the look of flower petals.

Candy Filled Egg Cups

Flowers are a must for Easter and the simple addition of plastic eggs to line the vase or container will turn your stems into a pretty Easter arrangement. What’s also great about this is that come Monday all you have to do is remove the eggs and enjoy the flowers for the rest of the week.

Egg Filled Flower Vase

And since I love cloches so much, this décor idea is right up my alley.

Tip: If you can’t find nest at this late date, create a nest with twig branches you pick from the yard or buy at the craft store.

Nest in Cloche

When it comes to last-minute holiday decorating, I love ideas that are quick, easy and yield beautiful results.

I’ll be back tomorrow to share the highlights of my DC trip and to show you my Easter tablescape.

The ‘It’ Accessories for Spring

March 24, 2014

Good morning and happy Monday. I hope you weekend was great.

We had some fantastic weather here in Atlanta over the weekend but unfortunately I only had a little time to get out and enjoy it. Saturday I made myself stay in and tackle the stack of magazines that have grown since December. OUT.OF.CONTROL! I got through most of the stack, found lots of inspiration, have a stack of project pages to file away and feel much more relaxed now that all of magazines are out-of-the-way.

In addition to all the magazines I read, I got caught up on my blog reading. So many great blogs and so little time!

One of the things I try to pay particular attention to when I’m going through magazines or reading blogs are the design elements and the accessories that appear over and over. While there are companies that forecast design trends, seeing what items people are actually using in their homes is the best gauge of whether a trend or item is really hot or not. Magazine after magazine and blog after blog I began to see several items show up over and over which is an obvious sign that they are the

‘IT’ Accessories of the Moment!

The Moroccan Shag Rug

I’ve seen this rug in photos and on blogs before but in the last several weeks I’ve seen it show up in so many rooms that designers and bloggers are styling. It’s soft, it’s chic and the classic design mixes well with just about any décor.

via

Kristin from Bliss at Home recently added the rug to her gorgeous living room.

You can find the Moroccan Shag Rug at RugsUSA.com and if you hurry you’ll get it on sale too! RugsUSA is one of my favorite sources for rugs and you can read more about why here .

Ikea Black and White Striped Pillow

First it was the rug

via

then came the throw

via

and then fabric by the yard

and now Ikea has introduced the black and white striped pillow cover. This pillow ( Vargyllen) doesn’t seem to be available on the website yet but I did see it in the store here in Atlanta for around $9.

Just like all the other black and white items that Ikea sells, this one is sure to be a hot commodity and is sure to appear on many blogs in the coming months.

Watercolor Floral Pillows

Flowers are a hallmark of spring so it’s only natural that watercolor floral pillows are so popular now. I love the artistic feel of watercolor designs and pillows are a great way to refresh your look for the season so this is a winning combination.

via

If you love this look you can find similar styles at HomeGoods and Etsy has a great selection like the pillow above.

Since spring is officially here and if you’re anything like me you want to refresh your home for the season so my question to you is, will that refresh include any of these IT accessories?

p.s. The four ‘it’ accessories I wrote about last year are still a hot trend too!

Entertaining Inspiration: Spring Flowers

March 13, 2014

Don’t you just love a beautiful party table? This image caught my eye and represents the perfect blend of sophistication and fun.

If you study this image you’ll notice three things that set the tone for this table. These three elements are great to keep in mind when you build a tablescape and want it to be dynamic.

1) CONTRAST–a stylish party table brings together contrasting elements in a way that makes the table come to life. The graphic pattern of the table runner contrast perfectly with the bold impact of the flowers. The two elements balance each other perfectly.

2) SHINE–Every party table needs elements that add a bit of shine and glimmer. The silver cups are a simple touch that adds elegance while also offering another element of contrast.

3) COLOR REINFORCEMENT–when you multiply the color statement on a table the entire table setting will be more dynamic. The mass of flowers down the center of the table is a visual pop and energizes the entire table arrangement.

I loved the look of this table so much that I went on the hunt for items that would make this tablescape a reality. Here’s how to get the look…

The best part about recreating this tablescape is that it won’t cost you a ton. Creating the table runner from $7.99/yd Ikea fabric is an easy no-sew project and looking on-line for the best deals will lead you to $9.99 silver mint julep cups at Staples (Staples, not just for office supplies).

When shopping for dinnerware invest in plates that can be mixed and matched with other items you have and use decorative bowls (less expensive) to add the pattern.

And fancy glass goblets are always in style, mix great with other stemware and can be used in both a formal and casual table setting.

Your Shopping List:

Floral Mums Invitation—Paper Source /Black and White Stripe Fabric–Ikea / Nomad Flower Bowls–Cost Plus / Baroque Ogee Plates–Cost Plus

Silver Mint Julep Cups–Staples / Baroque Scroll Goblet–Pier 1 / North Satin Silverware–Pier 1 / Raspberry Flower Crochet Napkins–Cost Plus World Market

Tablescape image via

Fashion Focus: Spring Shoe Trend

March 12, 2014

via

I love a great open toe or slip-on sandal but sometimes I feel like those styles are a bit too casual when I’m heading out to meet with a client or have an appointment. When I dress for business during the spring and summer my favorite work shoe is a slingback sandal. I love the more polished look they give an outfit and the low heel makes they easy to get around in. I so glad that slingbacks are a big trend for spring and summer 2014, which will make footwear shopping a breeze.

My personal requirements for a slingback sandals are…

**they must have a pointed toe (makes you legs look longer)

**they must have some style (a bow, pattern or fun color)

**they must be affordable (long are the days when I felt I had to spend $$$ for a pair of shoes)

During a recent on-line shopping exploration I came across some really cute slingbacks that meet all my requirements and are the perfect way to infuse this spring footwear trend into my wardrobe.

Take a look and tell me which is your favorite?

Nine West AnyaMarie Slingback / Nine West Kilianna Flat / JCrew Lucie Printed Leather Slingback / Kenneth Cole Mercer Flat / Nordstrom Chelsea Tri-Color Slingback / Loft Dylan Slingback

7 Ways to Refresh Your Bedroom for Spring for less than $200–Joss and Main Style

March 10, 2014

via

I spend a lot of time looking at product on-line and one of my favorite sites to visit is Joss and Main. If you are not familiar with Joss and Main, they are a premier members-only site that offers limited-time sales on top brands for your home and life. Each sale is curated with the products that represent the latest design trends and fashion looks and their product mix includes housewares, furniture, rugs, lighting, décor, personal accessories, gifts and lighting. The selection of items is awesome and the prices are even better. Each sale typically last 3 days so when you see an item you love you have to jump on it pretty quick.

…

Read the Post

Color Crush: Mint and Gold

February 25, 2014

COLOR CRUSH:

Mint & Gold

We all have colors that we consider our favorites (red and hot pink for me) but every season there are one or two new colors that make my seasonal Color Crush list. This spring I’m head over heels in love with Mint & Gold.

via

Even though pastels are really not my thing but this combination is just so beautiful that I can’t help but be drawn to it. On the pastel scale mint is one of those colors that sits between soft and feminine and modern sophistication. When paired with gold, mint takes on a whole new feel and becomes really elegant.

On the color psychology wheel, greens in general offer a feeling of freshness, tranquility, and calm. It can also signify wealth, stability, growth, and abundance. All pretty good reasons to love mint green.

…

Read the Post