sunlight

I would not mind coming home to a living room like this. Pale colors, lots of sunshine, and a super cool coffee table too... so chic!

(Photography by Claiborne Swanson Frank)

spring (fashion) is here

I proclaimed several weeks ago that I am officially done with winter. No more boots, tights, or parkas. I'm wearing spring clothes if it kills me...

Of course it was 40 degrees in Philly this weekend, so it's obviously not time for cotton dresses and totally bare legs yet. But there are ways to bring a lighter look to these last days of March! I'm wearing a lot of rolled up hems with funky, high-heeled sandals and bright color-blocking with nude heels and blazers. I'm also wearing this shoe a lot....

I'm not typically an Aldo shopper (I fully admit to being a shoe snob!), but these were sitting in the window at the store in Soho just waiting for me. Super high wedge, eye-popping pattern, and a great price - yay! They remind me of something from Suno's amazing SS2011 collection, which I have been obsessing over lately. 

So tell me - how have you been incorporating spring looks into your wardrobe? 

(Top two photos via Jak and Jil; bottom photo via Aldo Shoes)

love stamps

For those brides getting married in the coming months who do not want to troll around on eBay searching for choice vintage stamps - these new Love stamps from the US Postal Service are a delightful, and much more efficient, option for those stacks of envelopes! Whimsical, colorful, modern...perfect! They come out on May 19 - just in time for late-summer and early-fall events...

(Image via USPS.com)

to dye for

Tie dye can be so chic when done right, and this dress by Lindsey Thornburg definitely does it right! I think this would be an amazing look for the unconventional bride, very natural and pretty but with tons of style. I think it's swoon-worthy!

(Images from Lindsey Thornburg via Canvas and Canopy)

a chic baby's room

Love, love, love! The unexpected choice of artwork really makes the room.

(Photography by Claiborne Swanson Frank via Vogue.com)

china blue

Since painting my living room a particularly vivid shade of blue recently, I've become obsessed with adding touches of chinoiserie and Ming-style porcelain to my surroundings. Clearly, the ladies behind Rodarte were inspired by a similar aesthetic, as seen in their fabulous Spring 2011 collection. I love that the patterns are classic, bold, and eclectic all at once - making them as perfect for the runway as they have always been for interiors!

(Rodarte runway images via Style.com; top interior via Eddie Ross; bottom interior via Canadian House and Home)

a "wow" bouquet

Stunning! The colors and textures of this wedding bouquet, designed by La Partie Events, make me swoon. I like it almost - just almost - as much as my own gorgeous bouquet.... ;)

(Image by Erin Hearts Court via Style Me Pretty)

collecting... vintage books

Collecting - it's so much fun. While not obsessed with any one particular thing, I do keep my eyes peeled for unique vintage jewelry and clutches, art and design books, quirky animal knicknacks, and most recently, vintage novels from the 40s-60s with bold, graphic covers. 

Especially now, with the addition of my built-in bookcase, finding these dazzlingly-designed book covers has become even more exciting since I have a special place to showcase them. It's great to find a classic work by a significant author, or a first edition in pristine condition, but I also love finding an obscure book with a fabulous, colorful dust jacket. They are perfect to decorate with too,  like a small, unique work of art!

So how does one find books like these? I like to visit good used book stores, such as Brickbat Books in Philly, as well as flea markets, antique marts, and of course, eBay. With eBay, you need to know what to search for though. I search for specific titles and authors after looking at sites such as The Book Cover Archive or even Kate Spade.

Two questions for you - what kind of things do you collect? And what do you think about decorating with books?

i want this bedroom

Also, that pink painting over the desk is great inspiration for a DIY project...

(Photography by Donna Griffith via Style at Home)

hello, ikat!

I've been on a bit of a decorating tear lately. This week, it's been all about the guest bedroom/office. How great are these ikat curtains?

I made them in about 1 hour last night, using this fabulous $5/yard ikat (from Jo-Mar, the most awesome fabric store ever, for those of you who live in Philly) and a roll of Stitch Witchery. I'm calling this room my 48-hour project. A year ago it was a super cute little bedroom and office. But due to laziness and storage issues, it turned into a giant, messy closet and has gone mostly untended since our wedding. 

But since Wednesday, I've cleaned out the boxes and junk and refreshed the whole space using decorative objects I had lying around the house. I did a quick recover of the headboard (please ignore the ugly air vent above it), using a scrap of fabric found at an Urban Outfitters sample sale. The pink and orange pillow came from that sale too -$3 - yay! - and the small peacock pillow was made for my wedding. The framed print is from Lulaland and was a wonderful shower gift that had yet to find a home.

The Tord lamp and the Thomas Paul pillow were holdovers from the original version of the room, and the office supplies are from the Container Store and those adorable Liberty-esque storage boxes are from the Christmas Tree Shop.

I still have a few more things to do - clean up the craft corner and organize my desk - but it's coming along nicely I think. The best thing though is just having a bright, colorful, pattern-filled space to enjoy...

favorite spot

Maude loves her pink-striped shoe box. She has good taste...

Mabel likes it too. Sometimes they take turns...

I can't believe what big kitties they are now! They will be one at the end of March.

color coded

Now that I have a bookcase sitting prominently in my living room, I'm even more interested in ideas for arranging books and other details. This colorfully arranged version, in Candace Bushnell's home, looks like a large graphic artwork hanging on the wall. I love it. Oh, and that antique pink velvet chaise isn't so bad either...

(Via Elle Decor)

new living room, in progress

As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging a lot the past couple months. What have I been up to...? 

Just a bit of living room redecorating! The big project has been the built-in bookcase, and my guy totally knocked it out of the park. For the past three years, I've been staring at this weird in-set space running along our main wall - a 9 ft x 7 ft area that made it really difficult for us to arrange furniture. Finally, after way too long, the idea came to us - BUILT-IN BOOKCASE! 

We are so happy with the way it turned out! The storage and display space the shelves provide make a huge difference in our small living area. I love that I can store books, display pretty things, and have a permanent spot for our barware and serving dishes. There have been other changes too, such as a MUCH-more-vibrant wall color and a "new" sofa. By new I mean "new to us" because it's a antique store find from the 70's (here's a close up of the fabric)...

A lot more needs to be done.... new pillows for the sofa, chairs for the small dining table, custom framing for the otomi fabric, an area rug, maybe a comfy chair - but for the time being I'm happy with the direction of things. What do you think? Any suggestions for what should come next?

(All images by me)

drama at lyford cay

Lyford Cay resort in the Bahamas recently received a fabulous update from designer Tom Sheerer. I love that it employs three of my favorite "p"s - palm trees, pineapples and pink!

(Via Lulu Dekwiatkowski's blog, Trail of Inspiration)