keep your kitchen vibrant.

clockwise from top left: the ktchn / smeg / rugs usa / urban design ink / world market / world market

Just because fall is cold doesn't mean your kitchen needs to be. In fact, your kitchen should arguably be the warmest place in your home - both literally and figuratively. To accomplish, mix modern appliances and finishes with vintage-inspired accessories. And always incorporate something nostalgic to set the tone of what's cooking. 

tip:Use future ingredients as a way to add color to the space. Put dry goods like spices, req quinoa and wild rice in clear glass or patterned tin containers to functionally accessorize your counter tops.

bedroom idea: dreamcatchers

dream catcher: a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net and feathers are hung around it. The belief is to hang above the bed so that the bad dreams would get caught in the net. Good dreams would then pass through the holes in the net and slide down the feathers to the sleeper.

This isn’t a trend right now, but I want to bring it back. At least as a way to break up framed artwork or even a framed artwork wall display alternative.

Use to add texture, depth and earthy notes in a bedroom to break up the soft fabrics and fluffy pillows. I ended up hanging along with my framed photo display but here are other examples of dream catchers standing on their own.

my home

via boat people

via miss modish

via the fresh post

GETTING STARTED: I'm sure there are tons of tutorials on how to make your own dream catcher. However, if you don't feel like putting your good night's sleep in your own hands, here are some beautiful ones I found on etsy.

secret garden co. via etsy

write a story via etsy

totem wolfie via etsy

use magic via etsy

happy environments: bathroom design

I saw this picture while sifting through Pinterest last night and thought it had the perfect sentiment for a Monday post.

print by jimmy marble

Yes it is, headless polka dot dress girl. Yes. It. Is.

After a couple of rough weeks, I'm ready to put the stress and frustration behind me, clear the head and get back to being my old self again. It is true that negative energy can get the best of you, no matter how positive you are. But it is also true that majority of that is picked up by your surrounding environments. Which is why I'm a firm believer of decorating around what makes you happy.

One of my favorite places to start is Urban Outfitters. The kings of kitsch, this place is chock full of odd accessories that always make me smile. Case and point: this mint green tripe decker shelf.

Isn't she lovely? Perfect for a bathroom, kitchen or bedroom vanity, this piece is the epitome of organization. Mixed with the geometric cutouts and paint job full of whimsy, this shelving unit is bound to turn your frown upside down. Here's how I would decorate with it.

recessed medicine cabinet for the not-so-cute bathroom products
bedroom dresser turned bathroom vanity to give it that lived in look
round white vessel sink so it looks more like a table top accessory
vintage looking jewelry holder for on top the dresser
colorful rug to pull in all the accessories
vintage japenese porcelain cups holding makeup brushes and tooth paste to accessorize the shelf


TIP: Check thrift stores and garage sales for the dresser and vintage porcelain cups. It's a quick way to slash your spending in half.

omg love: chotchkies

Hay. I know. I haven't written in a bit. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't for anything but sheer laziness. Sometimes a girl needs to do nothing, you know? You know.

In honor of my time spent doing nothing, I figured I'd share my affection for something equally as pointless. Except for looking cute. That's it's only task and by golly, these things do it well.

chotchkies.

According to urban dictionary, a chotchky is a "small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose". And I couldn't agree more. BUT I LOVE THEM. I can't exactly put my finger on it but these little suckers fill me with glee and make me feel comfortable and at home.

Trust me, I have crap everywhere in my apartment. Poor Jim. What someone might use to decorate an entire house, I cram into a small, 4-room apartment and a storage locker. A little owl. A prickly porcelain thing. Some random birds. God knows how many vases.

You name the pointless decoration and I'm pretty sure I can find something similar hanging out, collecting dust and/or Ruby hair in my apartment. It's an obsession - a madness really - that I often have a hard time thinking about trying to get under control. Instead, I roam the interwebs, thrift stores and various decor shops to blindly purchase one chotchky after another, hoping it will fit somewhere in my home and worrying about what to replace if it doesn't later.

For those that don't share this same sentiment, move along and come back tomorrow. This post isn't for you. For those that can see where I'm coming from, check out these adorbs chotchkies that are forcing me to use every single ounce of strength in my body not to purchase.

Vintage Pie Bird - Morton Pottery via Ellens Attic Treasures via etsy

Iznik Mini Vases, Set of 3 via Pottery Barn

Palm Cove Hanging Lantern via Anthropologie

Ceramic Turtle via West Elm

Fescue Bud Vase, Large via Anthropologie

Weiner Dog Catch-All Dish via Urban Outfitters

Timaru Baskets via Crate and Barrel

Vintage Seagull Wall Decor via Salt and Ginger via etsy

Glass Wall Bubble Vase via Urban Outfitters

Deer Antlers via Hilltop Times via etsy

faux wild life.

I was cruising around etsy for artwork last night and came across these photographs. The photos are taken by Jeff Friesen via Wild Life Prints and as weird as they are, I kind of love them. The subjects are plastic animals, the background looks to be a dollhouse and the tone hilarious. A real talent for composition, here are some of my favorites (read: buy me these for christmas, thanks).

Barely Domestic 

(p.s. I have this same scrap booking paper in my stash)

Sheepish

Wild At Heart

The Soprano

Grizzly Alice

buns and artwork.

I've got two things on the brain today - buns and DIY art. The bun because I happen to have a giant one on top of my head as I type this and the DIY art because I am very slowly putting in place a plan for my workspace artwork. Totally random I know, but I can't help it.

True to form, I decided to stay in bed until the last possible second today. This left me with a whopping 30 minutes to take Ruby out, get dressed and drive to work. Totally uneccessary stress I know, but I can't help it. That said, I was unable to shower this morning (eww, gross) and my hair was out. of. control. So I did what (I think) anyone would have in this kind of situation - throw it on the top of my head, shove some bobby pins in there and hope for the best.

Well, I got lucky. My 'fro somehow managed to wrap itself into a pretty bun. Sure, it's a tad frizzy and a little huge, but I made it work. I paired it with a striped long t-shirt, my "new" $3 rust colored blazer from Dress for Success, navy corduroys and some tall gray heels. I wish I could show you a pic so you can see how not-ballerina the look is but I'm typing this on my lunch break. In the office. At my desk.

Instead, I'll offer some example pics of how to work a pretty bun. The most important things to remember? Imperfections are good and always pair with something tailored or structured.

running on happiness

[kind of what mine looks like except for a little more curl and a lot more frizz]

glamour

wonder how to

pinterest

pretty stuff

As for the DIY art, I started hanging up some pictures in my workspace and want to blend places I've been, corkboards and artwork I've made. So I did what anyone (I think) would have done in my situation and headed to pinterest for some ideas. Here are the ones I've bookmarked so far. Something fun, a little 3-dimensional but simple at the same time.

material girls

apartment therapy

etsy

jeff canham

the mayberry home journal

design sponge

lemonade makin mama

Gray and gloomy all day long.

Welp, the weather sucks. So in honor of the colorless skies, here are some gray pieces you can use to dress up your space (and yourself) accordingly.

All photos and products courtesy of etsy.

flax designs

ceri hoover

M Design Tree

The Glam Lamb

The Sly Fox

Little Birdie 75

Jill Rosenwald

xiaolizi

Tangerine Home

Happy Labor Day.

I'm headed to the lake so won't be back until next Tuesday.

Wishing everyone a fantastic long weekend in the meantime!

artwork courtesy of dolangeiman @ etsy