Using the color green

In my opinion, no home should be totally devoid of the color green. It is such a bright and life giving color. I love this green sofa used by Anna Spiro of Absolutely Beautiful Things in one of the homes she decorated. To me it is such a splash of happiness. I also love the painted striped green and white floor in the adjoining sunroom!

Little Girl's Bedroom Idea

If I had a little girl, I would be all over this bedding. I just love the crisp white linens and the colorful pillows. This combo would look great with almost any color paint on the wall. This picture was taken at Celadon, a local store which is having a 20% off on everything sale through the weekend.

Jewelry Tree stands

Lately I have been trying to come up with a better way of storing, organizing, and displaying my jewelry. I once saw an idea about storing necklaces in teacups which I have tried, but am tired of it because it is not working for me anymore. I am starting to think that I may want to have my jewelry (mainly my necklaces) on display on a shelf in my closet/dressing area. One idea is using a jewelry tree. You can create one yourself if you are a good DIYer, or they have some great options at Urban Outfitters or Pottery Barn, both of which have free online shipping right now.


Images from Apartment Therapy, Pottery Barn, and Urban Outfitters.

Romantic bed

I just love a bedroom to look romantic and soothing. This picture is from one of my friend's bedrooms. The four poster bed with sheers and vintage linens gives it a really unique look. The wall color is Marsh Grass by Sherwin Williams.

Gift idea

From now until Christmas I will feature a once a week Christmas gift idea. This week's feature is the Gurgle Pot. Basically it is a fish-shaped pitcher the gurgles (a loud "glug glug") when you pour from it. I had seen them for a long time at one of my favorite local stores in Mt. Pleasant called Zinnia and had told people about them when they were trying to think of an original, not too expensive gift. They come in so many fun colors! My mom has bought several as wedding gifts and the recipients have all loved them. I lamented the fact that I never had been given one and it's not the kind of thing you buy for yourself. Then, for my birthday I received two of them--one from my husband who had heard me talking about them and one from my brother and his wife who did not know how much I loved them, but loved the shop Zinnia where they found it and thought it might be something I would like. Now, do I really need two?? Probably not, but I loved both colors so much (I got a mint green one and a coral one), that I couldn't decide which one to give back. So, I'll keep both for now. I recently had a party and had one in two different rooms. If you do go to Zinnia, tell them I sent you! They cost around $40 a piece and also come in a smaller version and in salt and pepper shakers.

Recipe Storage Ideas

How many of you love to tear out recipe pages from magazines? When deciding what I want to cook for dinner, I am very visual and need inspiration from pictures. Instead of keeping the whole magazine full of recipes (such as Cooking Light), tear out the ones that look good to you and that you think you'll actually try making one day. To organize them, buy a three-ring binder and some plastic sleeves and voila, an instant file for cooking inspiration.

Teacup display

Last night we went to a dinner party where I saw this interesting display of teacups on a wall in the host's dining room. It sort of reminded me of the displays I like of plates on walls. Going three dimensional is fun. These teacups have been collected by their owner over a long period of time. Hanging them takes a little bit of being anal, but the result is a fun and creative way to fill a space. Also, chicken tetrazinni we had last night was the best I have ever had as were the chocolate cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting. I must get the recipes!!

Uncluttering your wardrobe

With the change of season we all should seek to make our closets more functional for the weather at hand. In doing this, we should also go through our summer clothes to see what we really didn't wear or like and consider getting rid of it. I encourage people to get out all of their fall clothes, for example, to see what they have before you are tempted to go and buy new stuff. If there is anything you didn't wear last year, consider ridding yourself of it--just let it go. Erin Doland, who writes for Unclutterer.com, just came out with a new book entitled Unclutter Your Life in One Week. While this seems like a tall order, I am anxious to read her book and I especially like her tips for clearing and organizing your wardrobe:

1. The item should represent your current style and the image you wish to project to others.
2. The item should fit you well and complement your body type.
3. The item should work in coordination with a minimum of two other items in your wardrobe.
4. You should be able to wear the item with shoes you already own (for shoes, you should be able to wear them with clothing you already own).
5. The item should be in good condition and should not need to be repaired.
6. There should be space for the item to be properly stored.
7. You should like how you feel when you wear the item (for shoes, they should not cause blisters).
8. You should have an occasion in the next year to wear it.

Treasure hunting

It seems that life is getting a little bit hectic lately and I hardly ever have any time to kill. But, if I do find myself with an extra half hour on my hands before having to go pick up my three-year-old from preschool, one of my favorite things to do is to wander around the Antiques Market here in Mt. Pleasant. I have found some treasures here, but really am not searching for my house anymore. Sometimes I find something that I can imagine in just the right setting or with just the right paint color in the background, etc. Here is what I found today:

• The lockets in the first two pictures can be found in a vintage jewelry case at the store next door to the Antiques Market. I love them!! I have one I bought here and have gotten countless compliments on it. They are so unique and not too pricey!! (I would love to "collect" these).
  
• The litte Christmas tree ($22) is adorable and they had several of them. These would look great on a sideboard or mantel.
  
• The zebra ($12) is made of leather and would look so cute on a shelf in a child's room painted a bright color.
  
• I love vintage oil paintings and this one of a mountain scene ($150) has such awesome colors. It would look great in a study. Don't think I am promoting adding clutter to your home--I just think the most interesting homes are ones that have character that is not necessarily bought from Pottery Barn or Target. I know it depends on your style, but if you shop places like these you can find such unique things at great prices.