room idea: radiant orchid and neutral patterns.

It's official. Home residence = under a rock if this is the first time you've heard of this color. 

Everywhere in 2014 fashion, I thought it'd be fun to try and translate into a bedroom. The trick is keeping the space feeling adult and balanced vs. princess palace for a 9 year old. To accomplish, I mixed modern floral patterns with neutral geometric ones. This allowed me to use a "pop of color" (phrase courtesy of my mother) without making the room feel overly vibrant or bold. 

tip: Continue to balance bold color with neutrals when choosing artwork. Avoid competing with the patterns by opting for line drawing with a minimal color palette - like this ampersand or street print. Thank you, Society6!

headboard / duvet cover / poppy pillow / orchid pillow / floral pillow / side table / side table drawers

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.

holiday ornament diy ideas a-plenty.

No matter whether the Christmas season is actually in the air or not, it's on my blog and I'm rolling with it. Mainly because I love the season, am slammed with dollhouse building and could use a little holiday spirit in my life. Plus my mom already has her "holiday theme" picked out and it's driving me nuts that she's ahead of me.

For those that don't know, a "holiday theme" starts with the tree. Unlike my mom, I tend to bypass the Pottery Barn pulled-together tree and head straight for The Christmas Story glittery, tinsel-filled mayhem.

Tacky, yes. A lot, of course. But it a good way.

So this year, like every year, I opt for homemade ornaments. I already have my signature super sentimental ornaments (+grandma) but I like to mix up the arrangement with some new duds from time to time. But what type of homemade you ask? These past few weeks, I've been collecting DIY ornament ideas off pinterest (duh) as a way to gather my thoughts. The good news is that majority of these ornament ideas are relatively easy (read: more likely to actually get done). The "bad" news? Let's just say it's going to be a lot of metallic, a lot of garland and a lot of glitter. Little fake Christmas tree from Walgreens circa 2009, you are going to look ADORABLE.

miss mustard seed

squeeze lines of Elmer's glue on glass bulb and sprinkle with glitter.

martha stewart

stick string in glue and wrap around small balloons

once dry, pop balloons and presto!

martha stewart

these would be cute even just spray painted, i swear!

but if you want to glitter, get hours of your life back by using spray adhesive instead of Elmer's.

aesthetic outburst

pour white paint inside glass ball and swirl around until all sides are covered.

grab puffy paint (or acrylic if you're boring) and paint on the designs.

mary jane and galoshes

you don't have to use maps for this one. cut identical shapes out of desired material.

grab a Styrofoam ball, start from the bottom, secure with a hot glue gun and work your way up.

zakka life

origami birds. ok, ok, these don't have to be glittered - maybe just some scrapbook paper.

elle decor

collect leaves while they're still falling, let dry and spray paint gold.

do-it-yourself

this I would tweak to add a tad more contrast.

tape off half of the pine cone and spraying the tips lime green or red.

bargain hoot

don't forget the garland!

grab some construction paper, holiday scrap booking paper, ribbon, scissors and a glue stick.

michelles journal corner

toilet paper roll slices, a glue gun and glitter

eighteen25

spray with adhesive and start circling 'round the ornament.

this may/may not be harder than it looks.

Couch potato.

Lately, I've found myself sitting on the couch more frequently thanks to one sudden, unexpected event. Then, I got to thinking about what makes a good couch. Personally, I like an extra deep, super comfortable couch that is dog-friendly (Ruby has no boundaries) and easy to clean (neither does my food). This however, does not mean that the couch needs to be over stuffed or slouchy or made of plastic. To celebrate my new-found love for the couch, I give you some of my faves. If you're really lucky, you may be able to find one at a thrift store that may need a little reupholstering or some studier back cushions but clearly I am too comfortable to look :)

top to bottom: pottery barn, cb2, red polly, macy's (my friend Jen totally has this one)