Plaid.

'tis the season for some plaid y'all. a few plaid things that will get you in the holiday spirit!

this scarf from etsy - it's $40 and huge (not to mention the warmest thing ever - i have one from this shop!). 

these shoes. a friend of mine found a pair of plaid joie shoes on rue la la and they were so cute that i had to go find something similar! and at $68 you kinda can't beat the price of these.

these pants from boden. i love the colors - blue, brown, purple and mustard which sounds hideous but somehow works.

this shirt. i like how flowy it is and it would look good dressed up or dressed down.

any other favorites? i'd love to know!

Client Project: Before Pic And Design Board

oopsy i didn't mean to blog only once last week but i got really busy with my client project and didn't make it back here. so i thought instead of just talk about it, i thought i'd show you!! my client is a mom of three little kids - like all-under-the-age-of-5 little - and also kicks ass at work. basically a superhero. ;) she hates her living room after she hired a designer to help her furnish it which is such a shame.

can you believe a professional did that? the prettiest part is the rug which she picked up herself at homegoods!

now getting to the good stuff...she loves everything serena & lily, and who can blame her, and reds, whites, and blues. so with that in mind, i set to work creating a couple of design boards. we'll be incorporating some existing side tables and the pillow at the top right in the board which she already has but everything else is new.

option 2 has a different rug obviously but also club chair and a chaise sofa.

we're also working on pulling together her dining room which is going to be really pretty too. i am so happy to be helping her with this project plus she has great taste which always makes it more fun!!

3 Beauty Products I’m Trying

hi friends! this is such a busy time of year which is good but it also means that my blogging suffers.  plus we all have some form of a cold which is annoying and just slows everyone down. but i'm working on a new client project which i'm super excited about and can't wait to share more details!!

i thought today i'd focus on three products that i'm currently trying - with the holidays coming up and parties, it might be fun to try something new!

1. dior nail glow. people that know me will be shocked by this one - i'm a voracious nail biter. but once every few years or so i try to break the habit. like when i was towards the end of my pregnancy i freaked out that my babies would be disgusted by my hands so i grew my nails!! i made it 6 months or so. :) and i'm trying again right now. one thing that helps me is to keep a coat of polish on my nails and from everything i've heard, this one looks just as pretty with one coat as with two or even three. the color just gets a little pinker each time. i can't wait to see how it looks!

2. ysl touch éclat. this is actually something i've been using for a while but it's too good not to share. i use it for my under eye circles but it can also be used as a highlighter. i ran out last weekend and freaked! it's not drying or cakey and it blends in so easily you wouldn't know it's on - except for the fact that you look better :)

3. stila shimmer duo. i was between this and the bobbi brown shimmer brick. i like how you can blend the two colors and give your face some shine (mine needs a little help in the glow department!). and you can also use it as an eye shadow.

ok that's it - what are your favorites? please share!!

Off Topic

the week of gift guides got away from me the last couple of day so come back next week for the kids/pets edition! in the meantime, i saw this image while searching for slipcovered dining chairs (i still need to figure out our dining room!) and i thought it was too good not to share. so bright and light and summery and since basically the entire country is being affected by the polar vortex this week, i thought we could all use a little pick me up!

have a great weekend!

2014 Gift Guide: Home

next in the week of gift guides - fun things for the house!

top row:

a trio of decorative boxes - i love all of these. put one on your kitchen counter, another on your desk, and one in your bathroom or your dresser. (here, here, and here)

every year i ask my mom for a desk calendar and this year this one from sugar paper is on my list!

bottom row:

affordable sheepskin pillow. at this price you can afford to swap it in and out of rotation. it would be great on a bed!

a great throw to cozy up with. this one's from faribault for target.

absolutely the most gorgeous photo holders. a little throwback, a little glam. these would look amazing on a dark wall or a magnetic chalkboard!

2014 Gift Guide: For Him

next up: the guys! men - you do realize you are next to impossible to shop for, right?

clockwise from top left:

the perfect plaid scarf and it's cashmere so he'll feel extra special.

toms casual wing tips. i got these for my hubby for our cali trip and he wore them with a suit one day and jeans another. and he says they're comfortable!

sonos play 1. speaking from experience, this is a big hit. we have two play 1s and they give off plenty of sound.

this card holder would be the perfect option when he doesn't need his whole wallet. thick bulky wallets are a major pet peeve of mine!.

also see here for more ideas!

2014 Gift Guide: For Her

believe it or not it's the second week of november - gift guide time! let's kick the week off with the ladies. :)

top row:

this bar necklace would be a great stocking stuffer - looks much more expensive than it really is ($48!!).

a new winter coat. i'm thinking an update is in order this year.

faribault for target infinity scarf.

bottom row:

baggu weekender bag in dipped gold. yes please!

ring holder which could really go anywhere - the kitchen counter, in the bathroom, or even on a desk at work if she's the ring taker-offer type!

clare v clutch. classic and pretty - this one would get a ton of compliments!

What I've Pinned Lately

where did this week go? blogging completely got away from me this week - and i think i say that every week! - but i've been hard at work on GIFT GUIDES for next week!!

today i thought i'd share a few pins that i've been coming back to and staring at lately. starting with this awesome entry...i have long been obsessed with this wallpaper and so want to make it a reality in my house one day. our office would be the perfect spot! here i really like the mix of modern and vintage - so fresh!

lately i've been really drawn to neutral palettes and simple, clean design. i really love everything about this bathroom and it's on my *someday* wish list :)

this room is from hgtv magazine where the designer, liz caan, redid her own kitchen without a gut reno. i thought it was fantastic! don't know if i could live with it everyday, but certainly some great inspiration here.

another serene and perfectly simple space - that also happens to be another bathroom! it's so hard (to me) to create a space that's both simple and interesting. this space nails that combo perfectly. it's so easy to keep going and keep adding - restraint is hard!!

so what do you think? anything that calls to you?!

p.s. have a great weekend and please come back monday for a week chock full of gift guides!!

Holiday Pretties

how was your halloween? the boys had a blast - what a difference a year makes. they were totally into it this year and it was so fun! BUT then it snowed yesterday. nothing that actually stuck but still. it's november freaking 2nd!! and as predictable as ever, i asked my husband where exactly he is making me live and why. :) but now that it's after halloween, i guess we can start thinking about the holidays?! we were actually in macy's over the weekend returning a gift that my husband received (p.s. i can't remember the last time i was in a macy's and it was almost weird to be in an old, traditional department store like that. it was like a time warp!) and anyway they already had a christmas display up! full on tree with ornaments, garlands and lights - wacky. but i realized that i have started thinking about the holidays too - like wish lists and prettying up the house with a few things.

so today i gathered up a few items that i think would add a little sparkle!

top row:

a brass planter.

pom pom ornament. this year i want to cover my tree in giant pom poms. really. etsy has some good options of course but i like these multi-colored ones too - although they aren't "giant" - with the pretty beaded loop to hang from! and these would be pretty with a bunch of them in a bowl, not only for a tree.

a pretty bar cart - really can be used for so many things and of course drinks!

bottom row:

gold and black kraft paper for wrapping although i'm sure you diyers out there could come up with a million different uses!

red and pink striped candles - these are headed straight for my table!

concrete and gold dipped candle holders. these could really be placed anywhere and not necessarily with candles.