Kitchen Update

We are working on our kitchen upgrade, unfortunately progress has been moving at a snail’s pace.   As a result of the slow day to day progress, I find myself drooling over home renovation blogs and home decor magazines.  The silver lining is that I am getting inspiration daily.  We are agreed on a grey and white palette with brass fixtures and pops of coral-orange, it is a fun project. Any update to your home can be fun…with a lot of preparation. Here is my first inspiration board for the kitchen, I put this together a while ago, new updates and ideas to come…

kitchen update

Saint Valentin

snow heart

For the last couple of years inclement weather has pummeled the northeast in the month of February.  This is when north easterners find themselves wondering what they are doing living in a place where the temps reach such awful lows and it is often hard to leave their homes.   And then, we have Valentine’s Day, the day we can all forget about the nasty weather and celebrate love and romance…enter screeching record.  As I recall, in my twenties, there was a fine line between loving February 14th and completely loathing the date along with the rest of February, it all depended on whether you were actually “in love”.  Even if you were “lucky” enough to have a valentine, does he ever really get it right?!?   I’ll leave that question up for pondering.  I’ve learned to love Valentine’s Day for the onslaught of pink, girly gifts and for the idea that we should celebrate love whether it is shared with a significant other, a friend or family.

For fun here are a few things I’m inspired by this Valentine’s Day!

For the love of pink

I would love for Mr. A to bring these home on Valentines Day

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I absolutely love the idea of a friendship brunch for Valentine’s Day, is there anything better than champagne and your girls!

click here to see Brighton Kellor’s gorgeous girl’s brunch

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Ohh, and Mr. A, I’ll take a pair of these, please!

mcqueen pale pink pumps
McQueen Pale Pink Pumps

Valentine’s Day outfit inspiration

Day to Night Valentine

And finally, some ideas for him…

I adore him

xoxo

D-

Red Carpet Muses

So far, this awards season’s red carpet looks have not disappointed.   From the stunning, simple and sophisticated Lupita Nyong to the gorgeously glowing Olivia Wilde the celebrities (stylists) have been nailing it.  There are so many drool worth looks it is hard to choose our favorites. Instead, we’ve decided to choose four and find their interior design counter parts.  Here are the looks we’ve selected for this game:

Starting with Lupita in the gorgeous Ralph Lauren coral / red at the Golden Globes, we almost don’t have words!  The color popped off her velvet skin tone, this girl is everything we love about the red carpet and more.  Reminiscent of the Tom Ford white cape ensemble Gwyneth wore to the 2012 Oscars, the silhouette itself is perfection.  The Ralph Lauren color is mesmerizing in photographs we can only imagine how amazing it was in person.  Somewhere between a perfectly red red and a bright coral red we swoon just imagining a room this color…

red

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coral red

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Next, we have Olivia Wilde in an Emerald Sequined Gucci, it can be argued that there has not been a better more glamorous maternity look on the red carpet.  She is positively glowing and the gown fits impeccably.  The color emerald was particularly popular this past year as it was named the Pantone color of the year.  The use of emerald in interior design is fabulous as well, the jewel tone has such a rich texture that just a touch adds depth to a room.

emerald

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Maria Menounos is radiant in a fabulous pink Max Azria Atelier gown.   Maria is beautiful, her California bronzed skin is perfect against the hot pink dress.  Pink is tough to carry into interior design unless you are decorating a little girl’s room or a feminine home.  We love the images below, each displays beautiful use of this powerful pink hue…

hot pink

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fab fuchsia room

Lupita at the SAG Awards in turquoise Gucci, she nails it yet again. We are loving this bright turquoise, perhaps because, to us, it represents warmer days that seem so far away. Admittedly, the blog “House of Turquoise” never fails to get us salivating at the use of turquoise in interior design. We’ve found some images that represent this color in well styled décor.

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bright turquoise pops

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Carpe Annum

Ahh, resolutions. With good intentions we all make them, unfortunately life often gets in the way of keeping them.  So far, I’ve made a mental note of a few that I’d love to stick to this year.  Coincidentally, one of which is to make more lists, to write down the plethora of thoughts that flood my brain on a daily basis (less mental notes).  Another is continuing to improve this blog’s content, aesthetic, frequency and my own technical ability.   There is quite a bit of work to do here if we are going to achieve the ultimate goal.  There is an obvious intersection between these resolutions, hopefully the success of one will lend to the other.

On another note, they say when you do what you love and you will never work another day in your life, undoubtedly a true sentiment.  Here we’ve applied this adage to the work environment.   I am inspired when I am surrounded by aesthetically pleasing elements.  Consequently, our current home improvement project is creating and styling a “home work environment”.  Using inspiration from pinterest images and some of my favorite style blogger’s home offices, I’m confident we’ll hit the mark.  So, back to the resolution situation… In order to accomplish the objectives I’ve laid out for myself this year, I hoping to create the optimal environment tom make it feel less like work.

Here are some of the images that have inspired me to create this space,  as well as my inspiration board…

This desk from Horchow is gorgeous, combines modern lines and feminine accents.  It’s elegant and functional.  Perfect but comes at a hefty price-tag.
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Another beautifully styled work space
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Mirrored furniture is beautiful and timeless. As part of the John-Richard Collection Horchow’s Lexington Office Furniture & Pagoda Etagere are gorgeous together. The Chinoiserie influence is perfect with the light color palette.
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Mackenzie Horan’s small studio space is so well styled you wouldn’t ever know it is a studio. The Design Darling has an incredible knack for style.
mac desk

Our inspiration board, stay tuned for the end result! Looking forward to revealing:

Designed Desk
 

We Like to Party!

Outfit planning can be daunting when you have  one event to attend, in a season when its possible to have upwards of 4 occasions in a given weekend it can be downright impossible.   We are here to give you some holiday wardrobe inspiration.  Holiday outfits tend to revolve around sparkle, metallic and fabulous frocks, just a few of every girls’ favorite things.   The little black dress is a holiday staple, there are so many beautiful silhouettes for the classic LBD, no matter your body type there is something fabulous out there for you.   Some faves from this seasons racks can be found below.

lbds

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Metallic

Metallic holiday looks can be achieved through makeup, accessories, shoes or apparel.   For the last few holiday seasons there have been countless amazing ensemble options in metallic fabrics.  The pieces seem to get better and more creative every year.  Metallic looks

metallic party wear

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Winter White

Ahhhh Winter White, it is just so pretty, clean and feminine. White creates a softness to any look, there is something about milky white paired with pops of color through makeup or accessories that can make any gal stand out in a crowd.

winter white dressup

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Navy

Navy is another great choice for the holiday season, it is somewhat unexpected and a bit more on the classic or traditional side, gorgeous none-the-less.  Some of our favorite style icons rock navy perfectly.

lnd

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On Target

As per usual, Target has nailed the holiday season décor category.    For a modern take on Christmas decor, the best items, in my opinion, are those featured in neutral tones with glittery and faux fur accents, .  Currently, the Threshold brand, is by far, the leading holiday accessory line at Target.  Girlie girls (I know a few of those) can get their “Christmas on” in style, with pink flocked trees and wreaths etc., see some fabulous selects below.   If you are looking for the more traditional red and green/tartan plaid you won’t be disappointed.  Check out some of our faves in these three color ways:

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For the girlie girl in your life check out Target’s  perfectly pinkalicious Christmas items:

pink christmas

The ever popular traditional Christmas look is also well represented in the holiday aisles at Target:

traditional xmas.jpg

Faux Fur Fixation

Are you ready for the plummeting temperatures? Faux fur is a chic and guilt free way to stay warm through the chilly months. Whether you are reaching for your faux fur vest, snood, fabulous coat or cozy blanket, you are likely to be grabbing something made from a lush material that can often be mistaken for the real thing. The best part, faux fur is cruelty free and usually comes at a more reasonable price tag than the real deal. Restoration Hardware is carrying an amazing line of furniture and accessories made from faux fur. Ultra chic children’s hats, gloves, slippers and vests will make gorgeous gifts this holiday season.

Here are some of our favorites items in this luxurious material

Faux Fur
 

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