The Birthday Wish List

We went out to celebrate one of my dearest, oldest friend's birthdays last night.  Lauren turned 27 years old yesterday which means there is exactly one month until my birthday.  While I am on a mission to be a frugualista these days, I can't help but dream of wonderful birthday treasures.  I have narrowed my list down to things I have either wanted forever or have found a new need for. I may just treat myself to one or more of these items next month.

Here is THE LIST:

• An IKEA Mirror like seen on Young House Love in Sherry and John's house here. (I have actually wanted this for two years now, but haven't broken down and spent the $100 on it.)

• A new rug for my hallway

• A laptop (This want/need is long overdue.)

• New pretty/cute/cool kitchen dish towels (Everyone needs these, right?)

• A lantern to hang off a hook in my living room like seen in the Pottery Barn catalog here.

• I feel in love with this basket purse while putting together this collage.  It is not a necessity, but it is adorable and affordable.

• TOMS shoes - I hear these are so comfy!

• A fedora hat - Perfect for summer time!

• A floppy sun hat for the pool

• Colored skinny belts - perfect for putting some personality in my workplace attire!

• Another pair of Sperrys - These metallic ones have caught my eye for a while.

Birthday Countdown by sarah90301 featuring glitter shoes

Chores Chart Dish Towel in Red
$13 - modcloth.com

Chores Chart Dish Towel in Blue
$13 - modcloth.com

TOMS glitter shoes
$54 - nordstrom.com

Sperry twisted shoes
$75 - nordstrom.com

Vintage bag
$30 - modcloth.com

Beanie hat
$13 - tillys.com

Beach hat
$17 - tillys.com

Zara belt
$16 - zara.com

Dorothy Perkins orange belt
£6 - dorothyperkins.com

ikea HEMNES
$80 - ikea.com

Buy Apple Laptops from John Lewis
johnlewis.com

Home Modern Botanical Rug Collection - Shell : Target
target.com

Home Essentials & Beyond "Willow" Rattan Round Lantern, 13"
$28 - bloomingdales.com

1

New Discovery

I recently discovered the blog, The Lettered Cottage, and had to share it with you. If you love Young House Love, you will definitely be a fan of this husband and wife home-renovating duo.  They are amazingly talented and have such "Pottery Barn" style which totally translates to Simply Sarah Style. I hope you enjoy reading their blog.  (Just don't blame me for your hours of blog stalking addiction, but hey, it's inspiration - right!)  Here are just a few prime examples of their talent...

photo source

photo source

photo source

photo source

Want to see more of their work? Click here.

2

Preppy Pendant Banner

I truly adore the pendant banners that have been dominating the blog sphere and etsy scene for awhile.  You may remember the one I created for my sister's country chic wedding shower using burlap.  

I see them everywhere from showers to room decor to weddings. Here are some precious examples.

photo source

photo source

photo source

I decided I would create one for my living room.  As always, I love creating new things for my home out of supplies I already have lying around the house.  I already had the wood pendant (to use as a pattern), paint supplies, and the burlap.  For this project, the only item I had to purchase was the ribbon. I figured $1 for this project was not a bad investment.   

1. TRACE - To start, I used my wooden pendant as a pattern. I purchased this at Hobby Lobby for $1.49 back in February for my sister's wedding shower. I used a highlighter to faintly trace the shape onto the burlap.



2. CUT - With durable scissors, I cut enough pendents out of burlap to spell "ENJOY LIFE."




3. PAINT - I used stencils to paint the letters. To do this, I laid the pendants on plastic bags to prevent the paint from going through the burlap onto my counter top. I taped the stencil to the burlap to ensure correct placement of the letter.



4. DRY - Being the impatient girl that I am, I used a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.




Here is what my art space (aka kitchen counter) looked like during the process.

After all letters were dry, I used craft glue to adhere the pendants to ribbon. I hung the banner from my ceiling using tacks. I plan on eventually painting this wall to give it some pop, but haven't finalized a color yet.  I also would like to install a mantle here instead of the console table so I have a true center piece to decorate.  (If anyone has one they are giving away or knows where I can get one cheap, please let me know! I would be extremely graterful.)  

This banner is a daily reminder to live life to the fullest and not waste time stressing about silly things that will not matter a year from now.

Enjoy life, my friends! 


This "Preppy Pendant Banner" tutorial, along with other project ideas, is featured on the following sites: 

The Shabby Nest


Tuesday's Treasures

0

Mantle Makeover

As many of my friends and family know, designing is a passion of mine. I love piecing together looks whether it be creating home decor solutions from items around your house or styling a look from the apparel and accessories in your closet.  I am always up for the challenge because of my love for design!  In fact, interior design was my major in college until I hit the point of burnout. It seemed that I was spending excessive nights in gluing balsa sticks together in an abstract form while all my friends were out having fun.  I decided to explore my other passion: event planning.  That led me to the Integrated Strategic Communications major with a focus on PR. Again, this major includes large attention to detail and many facets of design... right up my alley! 

While I did not complete an interior design degree due to my focus on public relations, I still thoroughly enjoy it.  I was very honored when I was recently asked to assist Holly from Posy Floral Design with the redesign of her fireplace and mantle area.  If you remember, I featured Holly's work in the Posy Floral Design post this past March.  As a floral designer, she has produced arrangements for almost every bride I know... Yes, her work is that good.  

She sent me photos of her living room to give me insight to her country chic, laid back style.

The Blank Canvas

Her color scheme consists of brown, taupe, and teal.

The collection of decorating items she started out with...

Side Note - The mantle items are in no particular arrangement at the time of this photo. This was simply for inventory purposes.

Another side note - I love utilizing items people already have in their home to style a space. As the home/space owner, it is such a good feeling knowing you can create a visual setup from things you already have laying around. "No purchase necessary" is a good thing.

Holly had a wonderful collection of items so I knew she was beginning with a solid foundation and would not need to purchase much.  After viewing the space, I felt having a strong focal point would anchor the room.

My suggestion... a BIG mirror!

I sent Holly several  other ideas I have stored in my mental library from years of DIY and home decor blog stalking.  I love books so I suggested stacking some large coffee table publications on the bottom ledge of the fireplace to make it homey.   A couple weeks later, Holly revealed her new space.

A mirror now creates a focal point.

Her favorite books (including some from her Grandpa) now sit on the fireplace.

She topped it off with greenery to add contrast.

Volia!  So Stunning!

I love how these items came together. Holly did an amazing job arranging the items of varying heights so that the mantle feels balanced, but is not completely symmetrical. I especially swoon over those teal vases and the mason jar because they really pop. Now that you had a small taste, you must read the full narrative on Holly's living room transformation that is featured on her blog.

Holly is truly a designer through and through.  Not only does she continuously create gorgeous bouquets as the owner of Posy Floral Design, but she also has a knack for interior design.  Interested in learning more about Posy Floral Design?  Visit her blog by clicking here. You can also visit the Simply Sarah Style spotlight  on Holly to check my favorite Posy bouquets and weddings.

1

Wordless Wednesday

photo source

0