SIX Essential Travel Accessories

April 2, 2014

I’m already preparing for my trip next week to Washington DC which tells you how excited I am about going to visit my brother, see the city and hopefully see the Cherry Blossom tress in full bloom.

After many years of traveling both domestically and to the far east I’ve pretty much mastered the art of packing and traveling. One of the things I do to make packing easy is to always have my toiletry bag stocked and ready to go. I fill it with smaller sizes of all the items I use. The other thing I do to make traveling more relaxing is to pack a few travel essentials. There are SIX TRAVEL ESSENTIALS that you’ll always find in my bag.

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Product Profile: Pranzo Bag

April 1, 2014

I am a professed bag lady with more handbags and totes than the average woman really needs. One of the reasons I have so many bags is because I love handbags and think of them like I do jewelry, an essential accessory to my wardrobe. The other reason that my bag collection is always growing is because I am always on the hunt for bags that serve different functions in my life.

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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.

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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

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then came the throw

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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.

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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!

Fashion Focus: Spring Shoe Trend

March 12, 2014

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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

Blog Crush: Hadley Court

March 3, 2014

One of the things I’m looking forward to most at the Design Bloggers Conference is meeting new bloggers. I know that many of the women and men that author some of my favorite blogs will be in attendance. I am especially looking forward to meeting Leslie from Hadley Court.

If you don’t read the Hadley Court blog you are missing out. Leslie’ started her blog just two years ago, along with starting an interior design business and has really made a name for herself in the past two years. The Hadley Court blog celebrates gracious living, timeless design and family traditions with post dedicated to Decorating, Organizing, Celebrating, Shopping and Gifting.

Leslie writes about all the things I’m passionate about and does so with simple style and grace. Her blog post, along with contributors who write for the blog are refreshing and full of tips and inspiration.

Here are a few of my favorite Hadley Court blog post.

The Gracious Dinner Party

Tips for Organizing Your Clothes for Gracious Travel

A Well Organized Linen Closet

Stop by Hadley Court and say hi to Leslie. You’ll definitely enjoy her blog.

For more Hadley Court inspiration…

Follow Hadley Court on Pinterest

Connect on Twitter

Like Hadley Court on Facebook

If you are attending the Design Bloggers Conference please look for me and say hi. I’d love to meet you and connect.

images pulled from the Hadley Court blog

Treasure Hunting and Tips for Shopping Scott’s Antique Market

February 14, 2014

I’m back with part 2 of my trip to Scott Antique Market this month. Today I’m sharing some of the furniture pieces that caught my eye along with some tips I have for shopping this market.

I mentioned in my last post that Scott Antique Market is made up of two buildings, North and South as well as outdoor vendors at each building. I can’t even begin to estimate how many vendors show as Scott’s each month but there well over 300. Because of the size of the market, Scott’s has claimed the title as the World’s Largest Indoor Antique Market. You can find just about anything at Scott’s from rare antiques and silver to antique reproductions and vintage pieces. And, just like every antique store and flea market around, there is junk to be had as well.

This beautiful wicker and cane chair was a favorite from the show. The scale large enough so that the chair could be used alone as a cute accent chair.

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Treasure Hunting–Scott Antique Market, Feb. 2014

February 10, 2014

Monday, Monday! Are you ready to make this week great? I am! I’ve got a couple of business meetings this week, lots of projects to work on and more flea market shopping planned for the end of the week. It’s going to be a busy week and all I can say is that I hope the snow that is predicted for Atlanta doesn’t become the mess it did two weeks ago.

Today I’m sharing some of the great stuff I spotted last week at Scott Antique Market. It’s no secret I love going to this market and after missing it for two months in a row I was excited to hit the show and see what treasures were awaiting. Over all it was a good show. During the early months of the year many of the vendors sit out of the show but despite some empty spaces there was lots of great stuff for sale.

I was a bit camera happy this market so I’m going to break my recap up into two blog post. Today we’ll be taking a look at the accessories and decorative objects I spotted and later in the week I’ll bring you a recap of the furniture I saw along with some tips for shopping this massive market.

Let’s roll….

These dough bowls are always a hit at Scott’s and even though I already own one, I’m tempted every show to get another. They are well priced, under $100 and are really large.

I loved these fretwork screen panels and think they would look good painted a chippy cream or antique green. These were available from ‘my guy’ so I can only image the price was great.

More antique dough bowls.

Yes please on this vintage library card file. Oh how I’d love this for storing my loose beads and jewelry findings.

There is always lots of vintage cookware and kitchen accessories for sale.

This stunning reclaimed wood mirror was $375 and at approx. 7 1/2′ tall that is a great deal.

It must have been typewriter day at Scott’s because I saw so many of them for sale.

Love these wicker Demijohns ($30-$45). Every show I stop by and admire and have yet to pull the trigger.

Always a selection of classic mirrors.

A beautiful copper pail. I think copper is going to be the IT finish for 2014.

Original oil painting.

Globes galore. Some better than others and most overpriced.

I loved this blue wall cabinet.

One of my favorite pillow resources. They have several bays of pillow covers, sorted by color.

My dear friend Steve has an amazing assortment of beautiful antique accessories and found objects. These tortoise shells are a fave of mine.

I saw the most amazing collection of shells, coral and starfish this show.

Anyone need antlers? You’ll find them at Scott Antique Market.

These glass buoys were beautiful. They would look pretty great in one of those large dough bowls.

Should have picked up a few of these vintage spools. I they sell well in my Etsy shop and the price was great. Next time!

Awesome brass parakeet on a stand from Steve’s booth.

Steve also have some great lighting. These brass and copper pendants were really nice. {check out that wall cabinet too}

And who doesn’t love a vintage pizza board? Actually it was the fixture that caught my eye but the entire set-up is pretty great.

I’ve mentioned before that the Scott Antique Market takes place the second weekend of every month. There are two buildings and outdoor spaces as well. During the colder months I tend to skip the outdoor spaces but you can usually find some good deals there if you’re willing to deal with the weather.

I’ll be back later today with the before and after shots of some of the organizing I’ve done around the house. When you fall off the organization bandwagon it takes time and energy to get back on! I’m exhausted but happy to have things in order.

Too Much Time Indoors Requires Retail Theraphy

January 30, 2014

I think everyone in the world is aware of the snow storm and the traffic nightmare that pushed Atlanta into a tailspin the last few days but most people are not aware of what being cooped for the better part of three days does to use creative types. The hubby and I ventured out yesterday on foot and walked about 3 miles round trip to the grocery store. I was going stir crazy indoors and needed some visual simulation and Publix was my only option. Today after the sun came out and the streets were looking pretty good we decided to get in the car and see what stores were open so I could get some more visual stimulation and indulge in a little retail therapy.

First stop Wal-Mart! The parking lot was jammed packed (like no parking spots) so we decided to head to Target instead. Bingo! Target was practically empty and even better the shelves were loaded with lots of clearance items! (if you live in Atlanta, I was at the Buckhead store across from Phipps Plaza)

The gorgeous glass candle holders came in two sizes. $4.98 and $6.48

If you love to entertain and create beautiful table settings now is the time to stock up on table linens. There were lots of great patterns, available in tablecloths and napkins. Many of the tablecloth patterns like these below could also be use for window curtains or decorative shower curtains. The beauties were only $ 6.48!

This metal drum table was another great item I spotted. I think the clearance price was $59.99. It would be great painted or as one of my Instagram followers suggested, it could be used in an outdoor setting with a light place underneath it to shine through the holes.

When you’re at Target be sure to check out the new Threshold line. It’s great!

Next we stopped at Old Navy (don’t know why)….nothing happening there and the store was looking pretty lean on inventory.

We popped into Nordstrom Rack and I did a little shoe shopping. Check. It.Out. There are some real bargains!

I snagged a pair of classic Converse sneakers.

Our last stop was Marshalls. Clothing, shoes and accessories were a little lean but the home décor department had it going on. The shelves were full and there were lots of really great pieces to check out.

I loved this wood chair. It was marked down from $180 to $69.99.

Cute picture frame.

This green jar made it into my cart.

Fabulous lamp (would look even better with a black lampshade)!

LOVED this chair. It was comfy, had great details and the fabric was really nice. A pair of these would look great in an office for living room.

The hubby liked this chair better because of its high back. I did love the fabric and nailhead trim but the high back was not comfy to me.

These reclaimed wood table with the metal trim were so beautiful.

I want this wood trunk. It’s the perfect size for a side table or to place under a console table.

Classic woven top bench.

This grey linen sofa was really chic. It was long (perfect for napping) and really comfortable.

And these linen bar stools were also nice.

Even though I needed should have been home cleaning and working on my super long to-do list, getting out and doing a little retail therapy was just what I needed to get the pep back into my step.

p.s. The dollar spot at Target also has some fun Valentines and paper goods you might want to check out.

Happy Shopping!