Holiday Decoration

This morning I found some pictures of our holiday decorations from last year. I didn't plan at all, basically everything you see I bought from Trader Joes while grocery shopping. Looking back, I really like it. In general I over think everything, so today's lesson-chill out, relax and usually things fall into place.

It's begin to look a lot like Christmas..

Now that turkey day is behind us, it's time to get out the Christmas decorations! Last year we didn't get a tree so I can't wait to get one this year. (Still debating on if we should go big or small. Bets, what do you think? :) Our tree trimmings have been stored away for two years, they want out of their boxes!

Feelin' the Blues

In my opinion, I love a bold colored front door. I have the same philosophy with fashion- invest in basic clothing and add pops of color with accessories, jewelry and shoes. But this coming from the girl that owned turquoise, yellow and pink heels. Seriously, I have pictures to prove it! But it's so easy to switch out accessories when they go out of style. James and I had our front door painted red and after 5 years I want something different. It's such an easy project, I could do it in a few hours. I'm kind of obsessing over blue, is that crazy??

Via Reiko Blog, Apartment Therapy, Simplified Bee, Domino, Beyond the Screen Door.

Happy Monday!

I had a fantastic weekend- did a little bit of cooking, went to my nephews school fair, went out for a friends birthday. Usually I'm feeling the blues on Monday but since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I'm upbeat and excited! This week I'm going to experiment with some fun Thanksgiving inspired dishes I've always wanted to try. I thought I'd dress up the table for our upcoming dinners so I played around with some Kalanchoe's and reindeer moss. This is what I came up with- now i just need my Kate Spade dinnerware and stemware to complete the look. Oh, how much I'm lusting after some gold flatware, like these from Lekker Home. Happy Monday!

Checkers

I love this take on a checkered floor. The addition of the gray is subtle but adds more visual interest.

Via Head Over Heels

Party Time

I want to have a party just so I can use these balloons...

Available here.

Redmond Aldrich

I was so excited to see a new project by Redmond Aldrich. I check the website periodically but there hadn't been any new projects posted until recently. This Chloe Warner's designed home in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco is exactly what I find interesting in the design world- glamour meets modern. I was beyond excited by the bathroom- I would live in it. Seriously, I would. I love so many of the details- the pattern of the wood floors, the sleek staircase with glass enclosure, the kitchen sans upper cabinets. The house is so slick and modern but still glamorous. I'm going gaga over these images.

Via Redmond Aldrich

Barney's

Loving these office accessories from Barney's. I think I found my 2011 planner....

Thrift Shopping

I get so excited when I drive passed a thrift shop. Usually no matter where it is, I'll try and stop to check them out. Some are good, some are very, very bad. But the draw is that there's a potential gold mine of goodies, ripe for my picking. Yesterday I finally went into a thrift store that I usually avoided because it required a lot of energy to maneuver into their teeny tiny parking lot. Oh was it worth it! I took my Mom and we spent an hour perusing every inch of the jammed packed store. There was so many things I contemplated buying- lucite boxes, brass trays and bowls, vintage glasses. I finally narrowed down my search based on budget and need, and left with these brass antelope bookends. They were priced at $25 for the pair but I negotiated them for $20. I love a good bargain! My mom left with some amazing sterling silver trays and dishes. I'm so temped to go back for the lucite boxes....

Leopard Coat

I've been slightly obsessed with finding the perfect leopard coat. I was loving all the above looks but was having a hard time finding one in my price range. Saturday James had a football game so I took the time to stroll 3rd Street Promenade, mostly to window shop. Someone had told me Zara had a lot of great fall stuff so of course I had to take a gander! There was so many great jackets, capes and shoes! I saw a camel colored cape that would be great for fall but at $189 I had to pass. Then I saw this lone jacket, a leopard wool coat. Of course I grabbed it and it fit perfectly-even better it was $99! It's an XS and I thought I should try on a small too, just in case I need to layer. The sales girl said it was the last one but could check other store, The Grove and Century City. As I was waiting near the cash register, everyone in line was asking about the jacket. The sales girl told them she was checking to see if other stores but a few minutes later she said they were sold out. This is totally screwed up shopping psychology, I totally admit it, but why does it feel so good to leave with something so many people want but can't have? James always says there is something about shopping that makes woman crazy, I think it's true. Nonetheless, I'm one happy little shopper.

House of Harlow

Did anybody catch the Project Runway finale? It was tense and the final winner, Gretchen, won by a hair. It was a tough call. Mondo is so talented and his collection was super fun and colorful. But I think the judges made the right choice. As a shopper I would buy every piece from Gretchen's collection, minus the hotpants. Now I can't stop thinking about the western look. I'm obsesses with the new House of Harlow Collection. The cuff is stellar, there's also a matching ring. I want it all!

Available here.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Last night James and I had to make a Home Depot run, we needed some supplies for our rental unit. Like I do every time I'm at the Depot, I meander to the garden section while James does the real shopping. Every so often they have fiddle leaf fig trees (fycus lyrata) but usually the good ones are gone or were never there. I tend to like the trees with one large stem, bushy on the top and dark green leaves. Well last night I was excited to see one the perfect size for my office- not too big, not too small. Only thing I have to say is the leaves need to get more green but I think the little guy hasn't had water in a while. Love how it looks in my office! I can feel the fresh oxygen right now! Oh, almost forgot to let you know the price, $15. It's like they're giving them away!

Bedroom Inspiration

Our bedroom is in a design rut. For four years it has looked basically the same- still using the sheets we got as a wedding gift, no headboard, pillowcases with holes chewed by the dog. For some reason I find myself unmotivated to get things together in there. My goal is to really focus on the bedroom-paint or wallpaper, get some new bedding, finally tackle the DIY headboard, new curtains, accessories for the nightstands, finish the nightstands, the list goes on! Since I finally have a sewing machine, I'm going to be resourceful and do pillows and curtains myself. Hopefully in the near futures I'll have some photos to share. Some inspiration!

via Elle Decor

Wish List

On my wish list- gold office accessories from Russell and Hazel.

Voting Day!

This is a very, very important day- Election Day! This election will decide who will be the key players in California's future. I'm a registered Democrat so it's no secret who I'll be voting for but I respect all political affiliations and think it's important to get out there and speak your mind through your vote. Especially now, when we feel our opinion doesn't matter, well today it does! There are some really important propositions to think about as well. If your like me and get utterly confused by the General Election mailer, here are a few websites that I think recap the measures well, Pete Rates and the League of Women Voters. Happy Voting!