Simple Details: November 2015

Pretty & functional get my vote every time, I just now found out Kate Spade Salt & Pepper Shakers are available online at Bed Bath & Beyond. It might not feel quite as special as

ordering from the Kate Spade website, nonetheless, they're fun and I love the whimsy they

add to my kitchen vignette.

Hands down I get the most compliments on my Stella & Dot Renegade Bracelet,

the spikes give it the perfect unexpected edgy rocker girl look, and I love to pair

it with feminine pearls, lace, florals ~ actually I wear it with everything!

I first found out about this fabulous concealer from a blogger post of favorites. :)

I purchased my first tube of Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Concealer about a year

ago, and just replaced it. It's a little pricey, but lasts forever. The reviews are all

over the top great!

"Honey, let's not get gifts for each other this year, let's just get something for the house."

Haha!

If you need a bedroom makeover I highly recommend my go-to upholstered headboard

that you'd never guess was from Walmart! $119 - 4.5 Stars - 1003 Reviews!!!

I've used it in both oatmeal and gray in these clients' bedroom makeovers, the quality

is awesome and shipping is free.

One Room Challenge Craisgslist Bedroom

Budget Guest Room Inspired by Williams Sonoma Home

I'm in heaven with the latest design book tied up with a magnifying glass to add

to my collection! Homegoods has a great selection and the price can't be beat.

My field jacket is the one I grab first ~ casual, but stylish. I can pair it with

skinny jeans and heels as easily as jeans and Hunter rain boots.

The faux fur hood adds the perfect touch of glam if you're that girl, and when

you're not just remove it.

Isn't it inevitable when you're shopping for others you find little treasures for yourself!

No harm in picking up a few to stuff your stocking. :)

A Charming Charlie's gift card is always a winner.

An oversized 18.5 ounce coffee mug - a necessity!

Making its debut in 1953 classic red nail polish Revlon - Cherries in the Snow

Kate Spade I-Phone cases

Gold metallic monogram decal to give my planner some pizazz.

I can't wait to check out what these stylish ladies have on their lists:

Monday

TDC

Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body

Tuesday

Wednesday

C.R.A.F.T.

Happy shopping friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you're new here take a peek around and

if you'd like you can find me on Instagram and Pinterest.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Budget Guest Room Reveal ~ Inspired by Williams Sonoma

You guys know I LOVE designing anything, but to get to work on a project with one

of your dearest friends (who happens to be a great designer) is icing on the cake!

I first mentioned this Guest Room project in this post back in May, she was stuck and

asked me to help her pull it together, on a budget, of course! It's actually been finished

for quite awhile and I finally had a chance to take photos today.

We're so happy with the look we were able to achieve using DIYs, Craigslist, :)

IKEA, Homegoods, Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Target.

WILLIAMS SONOMA INSPIRATION ROOM

William Sonoma Home

BEFORE

AFTER

We decided to bring in a little dose of glam to keep it from looking too masculine.

The crystal chandelier was the perfect addition and making it even more perfect, it was

free from a family member that moved to a new home, and lucky us, it wasn't their style.

We chose my all-time favorite Walmart Upholstered Headboard that I used in

the One Room Challenge Criagslist Bedroom in oatmeal.

Great quality for the $129 price tag!

We're using a pair of antique tables I scored on Craigslist for $50 each,

as nightstands. They have beautiful burled wood, leather tops and cute little casters.

The open style is great for the small room.

A modern marbled vase, and ornate mirrored tray in contrasting styles were fun

finds at Homegoods, my go-to place for accessories. A pretty monogram carafe

is a nice touch for guests vs a plastic water bottle. :)

We had a DIY day and knocked out several projects:

The IKEA Hack Sconces, we totally copied from one of my genius blogging

besties, Lisa @ Shine Your Light. We followed her awesome tutorial and loved the

budget friendly price of about $20 each!

The Gallery Wall using 24 - (5" x 7") $5 IKEA frames, just swish a little

scribble of paint on white computer paper, and you've got it.

We trimmed IKEA Ritva drapes in jute trim from Hobby Lobby for great texture and

custom detail.

And, made a simple tailored no sew bedskirt, again from my same talented friend above!

This vintage tufted cane chair was another Craigslist score, and the oversized

IKEA canvas (78" x 55') we stole from her Master bedroom.

She's had this rustic trunk for years, we added the large full length mirror and convenient

hooks for guests. All of her woodwork and interior doors are painted black, if you missed

the post where I shared her home tour a couple years ago you can see it here,

Builder Beige to Black Beauty.

We thought we deserved a splurge given our savvy shopping and DIYing, and had the

two camel colored pillows custom made, they were worth every penny. The shaggy

textured pillow is Target and white bedding is from Homegoods.

Thanks so much for reading friends, hope you all enjoyed the reveal!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

"Spread Cheer" Christmas Party Invitations

Hi friends, thank you for hanging in there with my sporadic posting,

we had a wonderful time with family visiting this past week.

I can't even believe two weeks from today my house will be decorated for Christmas and

I'll be hosting some of my favorite peeps at our 15th Annual Girlfriend Christmas Party!

It's the perfect way to kick off the season, and in keeping with tradition, yesterday I

delivered fun invites to their mailboxes.

'Spread Cheer'

Super simple.

For each invite I attached a cocktail knife from World Market to a 'Cheer' gift tag

found at Marshalls. I wrote 'Spread' and punched two holes to run ribbon through

to secure the spreader.

All of the pertinent party details are on the back. I traced and cut out a circle

the same size as front tag.

A decorated cellophane bag makes a pretty presentation:

Tied with matching gold ribbon

Evergreen sprigs and berries from my yard

White shredded paper

Each guest brings 5 favorite things (gifts) all the same item.

As they arrive they draw 5 names, those will be the recipients of their gifts.

Our price limit is $5-7 per gift.

It's so much fun to see what they come up with, as I've mentioned before

they're creative, classy and oh, so clever!!

You can check out the previous year's unique invites below:

12th Annual Party

13th Annual Party

14th Annual Party

What would you bring if you were on the guest list?

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Paperwhites ~ now's the time!

It's time to plant your paperwhites for pretty blooms in December!

They're simple to force, make a beautiful statement, are inexpensive,

you just have to plan ahead a bit, but you'll be glad you did!

These were mine a couple of years ago, planted in Ikea Stainless Bowls,

that got a quick and easy DIY spiff up here.

In the past I've always found bulbs at Home Depot, but this year my store only

had bulbs pre-planted in pots, I found the same at Walmart - both were about $7

for 6-7 bulbs. Since I like to choose my own container I bought loose bulbs from a

nursery (O'Tooles if you're local) for $1 each.

Pretty inspiration...

splendidsass.blogspot.com

fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com

They have a tendency to get tall and need help to keep them upright, I love

the green ribbon my friend Claudia @ My Little Bungalow used to corral hers.

mylittlebungalow.blogspot.com

The options for containers are endless, I've shared lots of fun

paperwhite planting ideas in this previous post if you need some inspiration.

And, the super simple instructions for planting can be found here.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

My Five Favorites - Paint - A New Series with Fab Friends

Welcome to our new series ~ My Five Favorites!

I'm so excited to be kicking it off with some of my awesome blogging friends.

Kris @ Driven by Decor

Lisa @ Shine Your Light

Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

You might recognize the group from Best of the Nest, well we were ready for a fresh

idea, and all agreed there's nothing we love more than tried and true blogger

recommendations and thus created

My Five Favorites

The first Tuesday of the month we'll each share our Five Favorites on a

specific topic, up first Five Favorite Paint Colors.

A special guest will be joining the four of us every month and today we're so happy

our talented friend

Cassie @ Primitive and Proper

will be giving us the scoop on her favorites.

# 1

Long before Benjamin Moore named Simply White their 2016 Color of the Year

it was my favorite go-to white paint. The soft warm hue with no yellow undertones,

but the fresh, clean characteristics of white won me over.

Here are a few rooms where I've used it.

Benjamin Moore Simply White - Bedroom

Benjamin Moore - Simply White Bedroom

A couple days before their announcement I sourced it for an entire new build,

we're still a few months away from completion but I can't wait to show you

what a gorgeous backdrop the color will be.

Benjamin Moore - Simply White Studio McGee

# 2

Sherwin Williams - Extra White is a crisp bright white I like for cabinets and

trim. I also used it to repaint my tile in my kitchen update.

Sherwin Williams Extra White - Kitchen Tile

Sherwin Williams Extra White - Kitchen Cabinets

# 3

My favorite dark color is Mined Coal by Behr, a deep moody charcoal with a lot

of depth. I first used it in my son's room makeover, then in our bathroom.

Not the prettiest photo (above) but a better representation of the color without the sunlight.

Behr Mined Coal - Bedroom

Behr Mined Coal - decor-ideas.org

# 4

If you've been reading my blog for any time at all you've probably heard me

go on about how much I LOVE to use Rustoleum Protective Enamel to paint

furniture. I was smitten with the lacquer like reflective finish from the first piece

I painted. Yes, it is oil based and requires a bit more work to clean up but I promise

it's worth every minute!

Rustoleum Protective Enamel Gloss - Almond

Rustolem Protective Enamel - Almond Bathroom Cabinet

# 5

Rustoleum Protective Enamel Gloss - Black

More of the same beautiful finish in glossy black.

Rustoleum Protective Enamel - Black Side Table

Rustoleum Protective Enamel - Black Bamboo Dresser

You can join us by sharing your favorite colors on Instagram using the hashtag

#myfivefavorites

Check out my Instagram post this morning for all the details and your chance to

be featured on all our IG feeds later in the week!

Don't miss the Five Favorite Paint Colors my pals are sharing:

Kris @ Driven by Decor

Lisa @ Shine Your Light

Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

Cassie @ Primitive and Proper

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The Black Friday deal you don't want to miss!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Stuff We Love ~ My tried and true favorites just for me!