Drapes
Last night before going to bed I realized TH and I have been dining out since Thursday. That's way more than our usual Friday and Saturday. And yesterday we went out for lunch and dinner. I need to get me to the grocery store and prepare a home-cooked meal. But I also really need to get me to the gym, but I'm avoiding one of their sales ladies who is trying to get me to sign-up for a free training session which will then lead to a, sign-up for a trainer pitch. She called our house twice yesterday. I picked up the second time and told her I wasn't home.
Now I'm trying to figure out her work schedule so I can gym it up when she's not there. Or I can be normal and just tell her I'm not interested. I have a tough time being normal. Maybe this is a sign I should probably just run around my neighborhood to realize how much I love running (I currently hate running). Any advice on avoiding people?
Now on with today's post.
Two-toned drapes.
Pretty, right?
A is for Fake Apples
When I "decorated" our first apartment (hey, this was a long time ag0) I fell victim to these unwritten decorating rules or preconceived notions probably put on by HGTV and Pottery Barn.
Ooh, Pottery Barn. You can afford to pay for overpriced boring sh*t.
There was like this list that I needed to cross off.
Dark or 'espresso' matching furniture - check.
Stick some curly willow in a vase - check (whyyyyy???)
Buy fake apples (check) and plop them on your coffee table. The real apples belong in the kitchen. But somehow putting the fake ones on your coffee table lets people know that you didn't put out an apple spread when they come visit. Like I just always knew if I saw apples on a coffee table that meant they were fake. Put out some fake chips and you might fool me.
But with all due respect my fake apples look so real they have teeth marks in them.
People ask me all the time, Are these apples real? Um yes, I shop at Wholefoods.
To really confuse people, I should put them in the bathroom.
So yeah, I still have them and I'm thinking of using them to bake a fake apple pie.
Happy Real Tuesday!
images via elle decor, lonny, live creating yourself, the painted hive
Brass Monkey
A few weeks ago I met with a potential client and she told me she didn't like brass.....
silence
Just before my heart finished breaking, its last words were, I love brass. Immediately after, I swear Bon Jovi's lyrics, Shot through the heart played out of nowhere.
I smiled in agreement, thinking I could change that. I could change youuuuu.
She said she thought it looked old.
I prefer the word vintage.
pink fabric on brass chairs looks feminine, glamorous, and lush.
there's no denying this floral arrangement situated in a brass vase isn't beautiful.
brass pendants in a crisp, clean, contemporary kitchen certainly don't look old.
More brass chair goodness.
campaign-stile desk with brass accents and chevron wall looks classic and playful.
beautiful brass hardware on light blue doors, welcome to my dreams.
Sooooo... you guys likey dikey brass?
Trim
Love the way black can add just the right amount of contrast when placed beside a pattern and most colors, specifically white.
Got time to spare? Add black trim to some drab drapes and see the drastic transformation. I double dare you.
Not to say these drapes were very drab, but now the black trim highlights the pattern.
cute little sink becomes a tad more sophisticated.
Don't have time to spare? You can buy these pom pom ones from Anthropologie. It's like a party on your drapes.
While you're at it, you can add this chair (in turquoise) to your cart and have it shipped to my address.
Enjoy your Thursday!
What's a Built-In?
Even smart people ask not so smart questions. Generally speaking those are called dumb questions and who ever said there's no such thing as a dumb question must be seriously holding in a good laugh when they hear one. At the risk of being called mean, we'll now call those youcrackedmeup questions. And let's hypothetically say the person you are married to asks you what a built-in is? Do you look at said hypothetical person with quizzical eyes and wonder how closely they pay attention to your hypothetical blog, and think, it's pretty much self-explanatory? Or do you look at him with, you're so cute, and let it slide, assuming you know the answer because it's clearly design related and this is the equivalent of hypothetical husband asking you what the term clutch means? You figure there's no way hypo husband is referring to the small handbag you carry when you don't feel like carrying a full-fledged purse. Typically worn at night. You're sure the answer is sportsy. But still, you don't know. So is he looking at you the same way you looked at him, waiting for the you'regonnacrackmeup response?
That's a lot of hyp0 questions for you? Feel free to give me crack up answers.
And for you hypo TH, some built-ins. Ahhhh haaa haaa.
Happy hypo Friday!
File Away
I know, most of us have seen this picture 156 x 368 and whatever that equals times. Possibly more.
But that chick Summer Thorton was on to something by putting that file cabinet like that, acting like her client couldn't afford an actual side table.
Unless you work in an ugly office or are in college, we hide our file cabinets the best we can.
I'm not even sure if Summer Summer Summertime (nod to you Mr. Fresh Prince) was the first to pull it off, but to avoid having to do the research, we'll give her the creds.
Here are more stylish attempts.
File cabinets are the home of boring papers. This person must have a lot.
Go big or go to sleep is what I like to say. Saying makes more sense when we're going out, but eh, it's almost Friday night.
this is like a file cabinet/ google library index cabinet.
You must be old.
What's the verdict? Are you all eager to rush over to Target and load up on file cabinets? Possibly organize your files over the weekend? Now that's what I call the least fun everrrrrr.
Happy Wednesday!
aka it's okay do get on our tables cause today also refers to Hump Day!
Charitable
It feels like it's been ages since I said I worked on this charity project, promising to share photos soon. In case you've been waiting at the edge of your seat, today's your lucky day. Oh joy!
Speech, speech.
First, I'd like to thank Erika Bierman for taking the time to shoot several of the rooms, including mine.
And a million thanks to everyone who was able to donate.
I previously called my room thrift store chic. I take that back. It was more thrift store cute.
On with the show.
First, the befores.
As you can see there wasn't a whole lot of happy going on.
That's where I came in and tried to cheer these former homeless women up.
Root, root.
The llama print was taken by our friend Rez on a trip to Peru and I just had it enlarged.
The lamp base was donated by Hallie from The Glam Lamb and the shade was a Target purchase.
The kind people at Bungalow 5 donated the side table. They donated a lot of furniture in fact. This was my pick.
This is the front view of what the blue desk looked like before I sanded, painted, glossed and slapped that birdie decal on it.
Here's a close-up of some of the items I plopped atop.
Lamp is from Marshall's. What what.
The She Believed print is from Etsy and I found it through Kelly's blog. I thought it was so fitting. The day of our open house it actually made two women cry. Like real tears. I was touched.
Home pillow was an Etsy find.
This llama print was also taken by friend Rez.
Christopher Guy donated the chalkboard frame. It was actually a gold mirror I painted and covered with chalkboard paper.
Mutual Friend donated his penmanship and wrote the You Are Beautiful.
Bamboo shade was also a donation. My friend Ever donated the fabric for the drapes and I had my mom (hi mom) sew them. The bottom portion of the drapes are actually pillow shams that hadn't ever been used.
I took these last two photos. My friend Ever also donated the wallpaper. I hung it up. Pain in the ass. The flowers by the bed are real, we're gonna pretend these are too.
I wanted to create a space that was comfortable and not too overwhelming for someone who most likely hasn't had too much exposure to Interior Design.
Happy Wednesday!
Natural
Although I'm more of a Let's lacquer up our furniture, put some nail head trim on that piece kind of girl, I enjoy looking at rooms that feel more organic. Leaving wood au naturel seems to make a room stylish but not overdecorated. Or maybe, people who like to leave wood in its natural form don't typically overdecorate. Correct?
Initially I wanted to go with a natural/glam (talk about contradictory)/still trying to figure it out look for our living room/dining room but I decided to put a finish on our natural wood dining table. I lose.
What's your take? Any naturalists out there?
images via scandinavian retreat
Withsole
When I'm stuck on what to title my posts, I try to get clever and confuse you.
Ready for your spanglish lesson?
Con, in Spanish, means with. Withsole.
You think you're seeing consoles, but in designstiles land, you're seeing withsoles.
Just play along, okay.
A pair of lamps atop a withsole is a classic approach to styling for you symmetrical people.
Happy Wednesday.
