A how-to for photo arrangements.

I'm back! Puerto Rico was absolutely amazing. So amazing that instead of the original plan of posting a photo meant to inspire each day I was there I ended up not being able to decide what beautiful thing to post and just bailing on the plan of posting while on vacation all together. Hopefully for the next trip (San Fran in 14 days) I'll be able to lock it up and post some eye candy for everyone.

Majority of the photos are sitting on either my borrowed camera (thanks mom!), Jim's phone or two waterproof disposables that I will hopefully be getting developed tonight. So, stay tuned for some sweet photos in a later post and start planning a trip to visit!

Moving on, I've recently had a couple of conversations about photo hanging and thought I'd share some tips.

1. Find at least one collage-worthy space. Collages are a great way to make a statement about yourself or feature a collection of something you're proud of. Whether it's your family, your travels or your love for panda bears, find a spot and showcase.

cococozy

2. Decide what type of arrangement best suits your style. There are two types of arrangements - organic and grid-like - with a sliding scale in between. Ok, so I have no idea if the names of these styles are correct but do know that the descriptions I'm about to give make sense in terms of differentiation. Organic arrangements tend to be more free flowing and shapeless while the grid-like arrangements are clearly organized with the same amount of space, rhyme and reason between each frame. The best way to figure this out is to think of your personality and develop a pattern based on the types of situations you feel most comfortable in (black and white or gray).

hgtv (grid-like)

jenny free style (organic)

3. Lay out the arrangement on the floor before putting on the wall. It's a lot easier to experiment, test and try out different ways to arrange on the floor rather than your actual wall. Find a balance between size, color and photo type. For example, if a large composition is what you're after make sure to have one large photo on each side of the arrangement. If you've got multiple landscape and only a few vertical frames, be sure to space them out across the entire arrangement vs. just in one corner.

apartment therapy

6. Almost always start in the middle and work your way out. While there are exceptions to this rule (like it you want the arrangement to start in one corner and let it end where it ends), this is your best bet for making sure the arrangement is in the middle of the wall you are decorating.

crafty habit

Still stuck or don't know how to begin? Here are some great arrangements to give you more of a starting point.

qwick step

picture frame manufacturers

imperfect

design savvy maui

Girl power is in the house.

A post that's short and sweet. In honor of girl's night tonight, some super girly gear to celebrate the occassion and offer ideas for making your space fit for a night of gossip and gab. Whatever your style, try to incorporate at least one thing that reminds you of your female besties and favorite feminine characteristics.

super feminine bathroom table at La Dolce Vita. The fresh flowers are a must!

a butter yellow kitchen fit for a 1950's housewife at Decor Dir.

Floral wallpaper and a dainty desk at House to Home.

Can't commit to a whole wall? Try covering large canvases or stenciling to frame the space.

Hot pink and shiny tile sheets at Modern Furniture Set.

Pink walls with white molding for a more grownup look at Style at Home.

Intricate detailing, mirrors and chandeliers at Everything Fabulous.

A collection of girly artwork and bright floral rugs at Unpluggd.

Keeping the old with the new.

As mentioned numerous times before, I am a firm believer of mixing and matching different styles to create your own. Modern with traditional, hollywood regency with retro, the more layers you add the more complete a room looks. Another thing to keep in mind is old vs. new. This is a great way to make a home that looks more lived-in instead of like a page straight out of a magazine. For those that don't care for thrift stores or antiques, there are plenty of designers and stores out there to help create that casual, cozy, lived-in-all-my-life feel that makes a room feel rich, full of history and inspired.

Here is some design inspiration from one of those old looking but new furniture stores, World Market.

DIY terrarium: mission complete.

I'll spare you the details but after three weeks with a nasty bug and one week of severe writer's block, I am finally back at it. With this being the first time I've ever had a three week ailment, I didn't realize just how gray you see everything once you've finally come to. Then I remembered... when in doubt, DIY.

So, to help bring some life back into my place, I decided to try out the terrarium idea (as seen here). To complete this, you need the following:

• pea gravel
• Horticultural charcoal
• moss
• top soil
• some sort of succulent plant

One big learning is that horticultural charcoal is very hard to come by - especially in the winter. Luckily after tons of running and calling around, an absolutely adorable greenhouse called H.J. Benken ended up having it (giant props to the boyf for heading up there earlier to figure this all out for me). I also got my pea gravel there and caught myself searching for more things to buy. Fortunately, I was reminded of my brown thumb and opted to just go with what I needed.

I started with a thick layer of pea gravel for drainage then added an equally thick layer of horticultural charcoal to help soak up excess moisture. From there I layered moss, top soil and more pea gravel solely for visual purposes. I topped it off with my favorite succulent, some more moss and a couple of pretty white stones for some added texture and contrast. Did a little watering and the voila - a terrarium. The best part about it? I felt like I was gardening without the added stress of knowing I had to constantly water it and praying for it to stay alive.

Fearful of trying to hang, I opted for placement on a side table in my living room that gave it just the right amount of visual interest and helped balance out the rest of the greenery in the space. Another idea if I had more space, would be to create 3-5 terrariums in various sized and shaped glass holders to place in the middle of a dining room table. Also a great idea to arrange on a floating shelf to help fill an empty wall. 

above two: my terrarium

shelterness

living life out loud

pewter and sage

Shiver my timbers no more.

Instead of continuing to complain about the weather, write about snow-inspired design themes or offer tips for staying warm, I am going to revert back to what I typically do in uncomforatble situations and just avoid it all together. That said, I had a very fun gchat conversation with one of my besties, Corrin, about how living in Florida might not be that bad (aside from the obvious pro of being closer to my brother).

I mentioned that if I were to every move to Florida, I would have to live on a boat with my wardrobe consisting of nothing but nautical-inspired clothing, khakis and boat shoes. Guests would be required to wear gauzy neck scarves, floppy straw hats and red lipstick (I'm not backing down on that, Corrin). I'd incorporate things like "ahoy", "mate" and "let's hoist some sails" into my vocabulary in hopes to grow into your everyday sailorette that hasn't a clue what she's doing. In my mind, if you're going to daydream you might as well go all out, right?

top left to bottom right: modcloth, topshop, amazon, forever21, anthropologie, true religion

Anyway, if the little scenario described above doesn't sound half bad, here are some sea worthy treasures you can start adding into your space to see if a nautical life was meant to be. Focus on a white, beige and navy blue color scheme with accents of bright red. Add accessories that have horizontal stripes, gold buttons or rope-like detailing. Frame a nautical map, a picture of a boat or some sailing instructions.

NOTE: Be cautious of becoming to thematic. As mentioned in a previous post, it's best to steer clear of overall themes and instead add small accents that suggest the idea (stripes and white-washing) rather than displaying the obvious (giant crabs and fish net overhead). Not sure if you've overdone it? Stop what you're doing and leave the room immediately. Don't go back into it for at least 30 minutes and if you want to start whistling the theme song to "Gilligan's Island", you've taken your decorating too far.

top to bottom: willow decor, apartment therapy, coastal style living, gifts for boaters, interiorly, apartment therapy (and also how I plan to treat my barrel!)

Sushi and shinto screens.

For those of you who don't know, a group of us girls get together each Wednesday (in this case Thursday) to lunch somewhere new. Which kind of pertains to this blog because it's a way to force ourselves to get a change of scenery. Today's lunch was at The Painted Fish in Northside and OMG YUM. The miso soup was fresh, the rolls were fried and adorably garnished and the ambience was quaint and cozy. If I were better at this, I would have taken a picture of the delicious (although pricey) feast. I highly encourage people to check it out - make sure to get the crunchy shrimp roll.

After the delicious lunch, I got to thinking about asian influence on design. The clean lines, bold reds and blacks, bamboo accents and large screens create an atmosphere that can be very calming while at the same time heighten the drama. Like everything else, moderation is key - too many additions will start to make your space look less like a home and more like a chinese takeout restaurant. Stick with the rule of three pieces per room and make sure to spread across the entire space to keep a good balance. Here are a few things that I've got my eye on.

DIY: Low on cash? Sand down an old side table with clean lines and paint it a rich, antique red. Find a textile pattern you like and replicate it on a canvas. Or even make an origami mobile to fill an empty corner.

 

top to bottom: world market, pier1imports, WillaSkyeHome on etsy (both pillows)

Everyone loves a 'stache.

Today marks the start of Movember - an annual month-long event to raise awareness (and funds) for men's health issues such as prostate cancer. The goal is to show your support by either growing or donating money in support of those who grow a moustache for the entire month of November. After hearing about it from the boyf and then receiving an email announcing the participation of a few guys at work, I got to thinking about just how crazy this fad has become.

While I can't exactly put my finger on what makes this little patch of facial hair so fun and exciting, the moustache continues to be used to add humor and overall sillyness to a variety of situations. Games are beginning to include moustaches into their rules, people have gotten tattoos of them on their fingers, it is by far the most socially acceptable form of facial hair expirementation and words like the Fu Manchu, Walrus and Standard have become part of everyday conversation.

The moustache is even beginning to enter home decor. Not just through photos of you and your friends pretending like you have moustaches but through actual home accessories. Although I'm still on the fence about this, I think that it could be possible, if not overdone, to include in your space. If done right, a moustache can help add some humor and interest to your space. If not, you could just come across as a person with a fetish.


Now, I wouldn't go to the extreme of buying moustache-themed bedding or making a giant furry moustache pillow but a small accessory here and there could create an unexpected suprise for a visitor and act as a little reminder not to take yourself (or your space) too seriously. Here are some examples of small accessories that could be incorporated into your current space. Remember: less is more.

top to bottom: Eristotle, DeeHewitt, modernmadness,  NancysBagsEtc all on etsy

Another idea is to hang some 'stache-work in your powder room, hallway, on a bookcase or anywhere else that can stand to be a little ridiculous. Again, think long and hard about the type of tone you'd like to portray in a room before deciding on a montage of 'stache-strations.

General room of thumb: steer clear of the bedroom, living room, den or any other space that requires a certain level of "put-togetherness" and keep it to 1-2 pieces per home.

Happy Movember!

top to bottom: tuffindustries, ashleyg, NanLawson,  3LambsGraphics all on etsy

Las Vegas Part Two: The Dont's

While it works for the Vegas strip to be loud, over-the-top and outrageous, this should not be the case for your home - no matter what your personality might lead you to think. Like Vegas, you should have bold, unexpected and charismatic pieces as long as they are in moderation. Here is part two of my Vegas inspiration... the Don'ts.

1. Relax on the themes. While an overall style is a great starting point for a room (i.e. beachy chic), having an all out theme for a room begins to seem overwhelming (i.e. all things fish). Start with an overall color palette that projects the overall feeling you want in the room. From there, choose a few key pieces and fabrics that portray this style and also fit within the overall color palette. Finally, balance these key pieces and fabrics with a few neutrals that are dispersed throughout the space. This way, everyone will understand the style of the space without being beaten over the head with it. Perfect example: The Venetian.

 photo by me

2. Minimize the gaudy accessories. Again, it's all about moderation. Having a few over-the-top pieces can help bring a sense of humor and add some energy to the space however, you'll want to avoid turning your home into today's rendition of Pee Wee's Playhouse. Try choosing one big statement piece to fill a corner or a few pieces that are similar is style and/or color. Place these pieces throughout a room in unexpected places to add some additional charisma. Although I love Siegfried and Roy, there is no need for a giant bronze statue of them that takes up an entire wall.

 photo by me

3. Symmetry is boring. Show off your creative side and create an arrangement that offers some originality throughout a space. This will help you create an environment or an experience instead of becoming the proud owner of a pretty but dull room. Case and point: I'm not sure what building this was except it was located near the Wynn.

photo by me

Las Vegas Part One: The Do's

The trip to Vegas was an absolute blast as you can tell by my lack of posts. So, to make up for it, I am doing a two-part series inspired by the Do's and Don'ts of Vegas. First up... the Do's.

1. Go big or go home. From the second I stepped off the airplane, I knew this place was going to be larger than life. From the architecture to the egos, everything had an in-your-face vibe. While you don't want your interior space to overload the senses, you do want to choose accent pieces that are large enough to be seen. Two good ways to determine what size of the accessory should be used are by measuring the 1) height of a room or 2) size of the furniture and then balancing the proportions from there. Here are some great examples to use as a reference.

 from top to bottom: decor8, House Beautiful, Material Girls

2. Take risks. Everywhere you wind up in Vegas, odds are you end up taking a risk I took risks both at the tables and with my wardrobe - the tables definitely being the losing gamble. With your interior space, try new things to help understand your personal style. A low risk change is paint color. If you've always wanted an eggplant room, try painting an accent wall with it. Worst case: you can always paint it back.

Feel like taking even more of a risk? I say, go for it however, sketch it out first to improve the odds of being successful. Here are some examples of big winners.

top to bottom: cococozy, House of Turquoise, Alkemie

3. Splurge a little. One thing I didn't know about Vegas was just how great the shopping was. From Alexander McQueen to Zac Posen, all of the key players of the fashion world had stores there. One by one, women were drawn into these stores like flies to a light. Their credit cards seemed to fly out of their bags as if the cash register were a giant magnet. This happened to two of my friends at Louis Vuitton. The justification: because they're worth it. A little rule of thumb to avoid using this justification on a daily basis is to sleep on it. If you're still thinking about that pair of shoes or those sunglasses the next day, chances are you need them. Here are some splurges I've had my eye on lately.

 top to bottom: Apartment48, Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler