Rent The Runway

who's tried it? i never have but i'm going to for the first time for a wedding we have this fall (holla kate!!). i rented two because one is bound to not fit or look good.

the first is navy lace by elie tahari ($500 dress for $85 rental + 30% off deal they had going on to give a feel for the prices):

and the second is a black and white kate spade. totally different from the first option and super simple. (it was only $25 for a second rental + 30% off again)

(yes it's called the "hole in one dress". i have no idea how that little caption got there!)

i'm really hoping one of them works but i do need to figure out a back up plan - something i already own! - just in case. have a wonderful and relaxing long weekend friends! ta ta!

Everyday Dinnerware

a friend of mine was talking about needing new everyday dinnerware. mine is in pretty good shape (although i wouldn't choose it if i had it to do all over again - yellow and black villeroy and boch - pretty but tastes change) but it got me thinking, what's out there now?

this blue band from crate and barrel:

can't go wrong with a simple white place setting:

pop 'o color:

ooo bamboo:

kate spade (i kind of like the solid pieces better than the dot ones but kate still is always right on):

any other favorites? what's your everyday china?

Coral Painted Console Come To Mama!!

she's here!!! last weekend the new coral storage piece for our dining room was delivered (by a stork) to her new home! she's soooo pretty. all of that deliberation on paint colors paid off too.

and let me tell you, the people at transformations did an amazing job. i don't even know how many coats of paint it ended up taking but A LOT would be an understatement. apparently coral is a tricky color to get perfect coverage. i am so thankful for their diligence because it looks great. (btw, i feel like the diy gurus/bloggers out there will scoff at my paying someone to do work that i could have done myself. however 1. i am not that talented and 2. my day job and twins don't really allow time for that!)

i'm super excited about the lamps i found for on top - white base and shades with gold trim. i scored them on a one kings lane flash sale but the brand is savieh. actually they were a pretty good score - $275 for the pair including shipping. i think you can find them on overstock too.

i quickly tried to accessorize the rest...the green and white tray is from etsy (this seller), the blue and white plates are burleigh that i've picked up at different places, the decanter is from tiffany - a wedding gift way back when, and the elephant s&p shakers are jonathan adler.

the room is clearly screaming for something on the wall above the console - perhaps a big pagoda-style mirror that would tie into the green chairs? or maybe a plate wall which i've always wanted to do. i don't have the right thing just yet so i'm holding off until i do.

i have definitely mixed metals in this room and i like how it feels. the chandelier is polished nickel, the lamps have shiny gold, the hardware on the new storage console is antiqued gold (authentically so since it's vintage!), and the frames on the botanical prints are sprayed a dull silver. it would maybe drive some people crazy but for whatever reason i think it works.

p.s. there were small creatures who kept trying to photo bomb me. camera shy? i think not.

Catalog Shopping

lets go catalog shopping! i got some randoms last weekend like garnet hill and company kids and for whatever reason decided to flip through. here are some cute things i spied...

an x bench

this lacquered curvy mirror

some super cute towels

a nailhead headboard (with white nailheads - how cute for kids?!)

these cute sheets with stars and circles and stripes

and barrel pendants

see anything good in a catalog lately? land of nod's always reels me in too!

On My Mind: Planked Ceilings

y'all i am so sorry about last week's lack of posting. work clearly got the better of me and i just could. not. catch. up. anyway onto better things...we had a great time hanging out with friends this weekend including 4 kids under 2 and one 4 year old! we also had the most gorgeous weekend here, mid 70s and sans humidity. this summer girl is ready to wear fall clothes! but i shouldn't be wishing the warm weather away - i'll be cursing it all come february and march!

so i feel like everywhere i look lately, planking is happening. remember this nursery i posted about? i love the look of a white planked ceiling (and walls for that matter) and have a hankering to use this idea down the road in my mudroom. what do you think?

(all images via pinterest)

p.s. the winner of last week's contest got in contact with me so just wanted to tell anyone who was holding out hope for another drawing!

Fall Pants

work is very much getting in the way of being able to think about things to post this week. my brain feels filled to capacity. boo. summer is starting to come to an end here in the frozen north. you can feel the start of crisp air that means fall is on the way (except for this week when it's supposed to be 90 - go figure). and it's getting dark earlier. but one thing living up here has taught me is to appreciate fall. i love it! never cared before but now i really do love it.

i already bought the twins' halloween costumes and have started on their fall/winter wardrobe. not much shopping for mama but i did buy a couple more pairs of my fav fall pants. these j crew cords.

they're so comfortable, stretchy and come in great fall colors. and since i refuse to pay full price for clothing these days (my how times change!!), i found them 30% off this past weekend! last year i got tan and gray so this year i added green and navy. expect to see me in these just about every day of the week!

Rockers

the outside of our house was looking like it was missing something.

(listing photo!)

i think shutters, as i hinted at before, would be awesome but another, easier, idea is rocking chairs!

we decided to go with poly-wood that is meant to last outside. i fell in love with a deep dark green painted chair but the salesman advised that they would be prone to peeling and splitting living outside. i'm sure there are real wood options that would hold up outside, but not at our price point! the poly wood is no maintenance and can be washed with detergent. perfect!

dark green shutters are still on my radar after we can save up a bit so the white works with that plan too! i was worried that 4 chairs would look crowded but i think it came out ok.

*fair warning to the giveaway winner - i really want to give your contact info to olive leaf so you can get your stencil. please contact me this week or i will have to draw another name!! p.s. i use a random number generator to choose :)

Winner Winner!

drum roll please.....

and the winner of the olive leaf stencils giveaway is...

sherina h who said "love ikat 2!"

CONGRATS!!! i'm so excited for you :)  please leave a comment with your email address so i can get in contact with you! i think i have a guess as to which stencil you'll choose! ;)

thank you to everyone who entered and sherina we hope to see pics of how you've used the stencil so i can show them off to everyone!

and for a bit of inspiration, here are some real life examples of the olive leaf stencils...

on curtains:

via here

on a wall behind a bed:

via here

in a laundry room:

via here

on a rug:

via here

above a chair rail:

via here

in a nursery:

via here

have an awesome weekend!! see you monday!

Cutest Boy Nursery!

the internet is so so great. i know, i sound like i'm 85 and just found it yesterday but you can find so much stuff that otherwise you never would! i have no idea how i even found this nursery anymore, one blog post then another and another...somehow i was at the blog smitten design.

how cute is this nursery??

the light fixture is woven leather. love how organic it feels.

they planked those walls themselves! i could not feel more inadequate :) anyway, i thought it was so cute that i wanted to share.

*don't forget to enter the olive leaf stencil giveaway!*

Fig 2 Design Studio

i came across fig 2 on a one kings lane sale. omg why have i not heard of them before?? if you like pretty paper, then go to their site and see what i mean!

gold anchors with mint envelopes

monogrammed dip dye (i die for these)

a cheeky card or two

(hard to read but it says at the bottom "will you be my bridesmaid?")

cute right? lots of gorgeous wedding/shower invites too.

p.s. have you entered my giveaway? any stencil of your choosing on the olive leaf stencils website!! winner will be announced friday!

Serena & Lily Sconces

the olive leaf stencils giveaway goes on all week - don't forget to enter!! how was your weekend? this was the weekend of jt/jay z in boston and someone was feeling a little jealous that she didn't go!! but i did get my hairs did at a new place which i loved and we finished off a little outdoor project (post to come) so i'm feeling accomplished. :)

have you seen these sconces from serena and lily? aren't they awesome?

only downside is that they take a 40w bulb. not enough light, even with two, to be the primary lighting source! file this under the "someday" category when i get to design a beach house.

Big News - Olive Leaf Stencils Giveaway!!

it's a... GIVEAWAY!!! my first one and let me tell you, it's a good one! olive leaf stencils contacted me about doing this giveaway and i had to think for approximately 1 second before responding yes! i've talked about them before here. but in case you're in the dark, they sell awesome stencils that serve as a fantastic alternative to wallpaper.

my two favorites are ikat pattern 2

and noelle's pattern

how it works:

leave a comment on this blog (like now) and for extra entries, like olive leaf on facebook, pin from them, tweet about them. i'll pick a winner a week from today and the winner gets to choose any stencil on the site! how great is that?

i'm so excited to finally be able to give something away to my readers and what a good way to start! which ones are your favorites?


a Rafflecopter giveaway