Recycled Coke Bottles

I finally feel like spring is in the air here in North Carolina. This weekend I went thrifting hoping to come back with some new finds but unfortunately it was a bust.  What I did come back with however were two old fashioned coke bottles, from an unexpected place.  My favorite food truck in Charlotte, Papi Queso. If you live in the city and have not tried this amazing place on wheels... I urge you to drop whatever you are doing and go find them on your lunch break. You can follow them on twitter here for all of your grilled cheese stalking needs.

This weekend project is so simple anyone can do it! It's such a fun little project and it's perfect for spring! Here's a step by step process of how to make these colorful spring vases.

Make sure you wash the bottles completely with warm soapy water. Get all of the sticker labels off of the glass and make sure there's no left over soda in the bottom also! Use supplies of your choice - Spray paint is an option as well, I used turquoise paint for a pop of color.

Paint a full coat of white paint on the bottles as a primer. Be sure to let this coat dry completely before starting another one. This will be streaky but I promise it will cover up! [I did 2 full coats of white before moving on to the turquoise]

Two or three full coats of the color of your choice will create this lacquered look.  Again, let each coat dry completely before starting another. Finish off with a clear coat of finishing spray paint. [I love the mod podge pearlized glaze] most finish sprays can be found at your local craft store!

Top with your favorite spring blooms and enjoy! Great coffee table or dining table accent! This simple DIY project can also be done with any type of glass, mason jars would be a great substitute! Are you feeling crafty?

Look for Less: Eclectic Living

Inspiration via Make it Home

How comfy and cozy does this space look? The original image can be found in a small apartment space in the heart of Washington D.C. This mid century modern look with a hint of glam and a shocking price tag is featured below to accommodate a more eclectic look. The living room that I have recreated includes affordable items that can be found at stores that you probably already frequent. Target, Ikea & H&M are infamous for their products with a great sense of style, and price tag that fits within anyone's budget. Who could turn that down?

Have a living space you want to redesign and keep that inviting and comfortable feel? This is the look for you!

This look for less includes a lot of items so it may seem like it has a large price tag.  Don't get startled by the sticker shock! Separately, these are all really good deals and like always with a look for less there's a chance that you can recreate pieces of this look with things you already have in your home! If you love this look, here's the breakdown!

Sofa: Ikea | $899

Coffee Table: Ikea | $50

Chair: Ikea | $89

End Table: Target | $60

Floor Lamp: Target | $20

Pouf: Fab | $88

Rug: H&M | $25

Blanket: Amazon | $50

Grey Pillow cover: (two) H&M | $13ea.

Orange Pillow cover: H&M | $13

Elephant Pillow cover: H&M | $12

Lion Pillow cover: H&M | $12

Total for the Look: $1,344

For additional information, shop the look here:

Navy & Neutrals

Hello Hello! Let's take a step back from all the overwhelming, up and coming trends I've been throwing at you lately and talk about something simple. Something that everyone goes through at some point, usually more than once in their lives. The taunting decision to pick out paint. Let's face it. It's hard to stand there in the paint section of your local hardware store and be expected to just pick out a color and commit to it. [So. Many. Decisions.] I know.

If there's anything my dad has taught me about paint, there's two words I'll never forget. Benjamin Moore.  Sure, all the other brands are great and work like their supposed to but Benjamin Moore paint in my parents house is like liquid gold.

On that note, I'm helping a friend decorate and get ready for her nursery and we're in the process of picking out paint. Today's topic is right up their alley in helping them make the big decision. [The baby's name is already chosen, so of course the next big decision is the paint color of the nursery right?] It's a boy so who wouldn't love a little Navy and Neutral for a baby boy?

Here are my top choices for this Navy & Neutral Bedroom:

Personally, I'm imagining an all grey nursery with a thick horizontal cabana stripe that sits just above the top of the crib and flows through the room.. Soft and bold all in one! Note: We will be bringing in some other bright colors like mint greens, yellows and orange tones to this nursery with the decorations and other items as well! This baby is already the most stylish kid in Ohio!

Other colors and inspiration of navy & neutral painted rooms:

BM Van Deusen Blue | Apartment Therapy

BM Kendall Charcoal | Painters Place

BM Dark Harbor | The Marion House Book

BM Stormy Monday | Hey Gorgeous Events

BM Hale Navy | The Nesting Game

Alright now it's your turn! What are you're thoughts on this color scheme to start off the nursery? Which two colors would you pick - could you decide between all the possible Navy & Neutral options?

Rainy Day Blues

Spring has sprung here in Charlotte and the weather this past weekend was beautiful! I loved finally being able to spend my weekend outside enjoying the weather, but the rain finally hit and it's definitely put a damper on the mood. Today's mood board is all about those rainy day blues.

The rain can get you down, but I'm loving these blue patterns and designs!

A Look Inside: Abby Larson

Everyday I pick up inspiration from everything and anything I can get my hands on. Like most people, I'm a very visual person and really like to see things put together different ways to get an idea as to something's potential. This partially is why I started my "Look for Less" posts. You never thought about doing that with an ikea bench... did you? Visual items don't have to be staring right at you with stores and price tags though - It's definitely nice, but Pinterest images do a good job also! Today's design inspiration isn't from Pinterest, however it is from one of my favorite websites & online design references. If you have never heard of or browsed through Domino before, I highly suggest you do - It will change your life!

One of this Spring's features on Domino is the home tour of Abby Larson.  You might know her from another one of my go to sites, Style Me Pretty. Abby is the founder of Style Me Pretty and if you're like me and are constantly swooning over the beautiful content on these two sites, why wouldn't you want to see what the inside of her home looks like?

Now, if you love neutrals and tend to chose them over anything else - But you also love color, this is some inspiration for you! Here's a look inside Abby Larson's Home:

[All images are from Domino]

Shop the Look on Domino

Shop the Look on Domino

Shop the Look on Domino

Shop the Look on Domino

Thoughts? Comments? Isn't this home to die for? If you would like to know more and see more on this feature, you can read the whole story here.

Small Style Sofas

Following up with yesterday's post, let's continue with small scale furniture and take advantage of today's Wish List Wednesday to help you find the perfect fit for your home! If you are in the market for small scale furniture in the near future here is a great list for you. I have compiled my top five favorite small scale furniture pieces and they are each under $1,000! Large upholstered items can get pricey especially with a designer tag, but these have the designer look and won't break the bank!

Tip: When shopping for a small scale piece of furniture, you can often reference 3 types
1. Loveseat | a small sofa typically designed for two people
2. Settee | [se-tee] a long upholstered seat for more than one person, with back and arms
3. Apartment Sofa | smaller version of a sofa usually running 66"-76"in length

1. Rue Apartment Sofa | cb2 | $999

2. Skyline Tufted Settee | Wayfair | $952

3. Tufted Loveseat | Target | $387

4. Skyline Velvet Settee | Wayfair | $543

5. Pennie Sofa | Crate & Barrel | $899

Shop These Pieces:

Will one of these pieces be in your home or apartment?

Small Scale

Apartment living can be tough. The adjustment to a small space can take some time getting used to, and you might think that taking mom and dad up on their generous offer of the old sofa from the living room is a good idea for a few reasons.  It will save you money, yes. It might also help ease the adjustment of leaving home for good and venturing into your own place.  What you haven't thought about.... that old sofa most likely weighs more than you and your friends bargained for when you decided not to hire movers to help you move into that second story walk up. And lastly, that sofa is probably way too big for your studio apartment wherever it may be.

As we near graduation season, the job offers are becoming real and reality of the big bad college grad world is knocking at your door. If you are most likely going to find yourself in the situation of a small apartment, then listen up because this one is for you! 

Let's talk small scale furniture. It doesn't have to scream, I live in a dollhouse - But it can also be functional. It all depends on how you style it to fit the space and make it your own. Here are some of my favorite small scale furniture looks:

via DesignLoveFest | sofa cb2

via mom toob | Pinterest

via Better Homes and Gardens

via Plum Pretty Sugar

via hip hip gin gin | Pinterest

A few tips when shopping for small spaces; choose compact furniture. Skinny frames and leggy uphosltery pieces will make the room feel as if less space is taken up. Mixing light, bright and metal furniture will make the space feel open with less clutter. Stay away from sofa's and chairs with skirted bottoms that make pieces feel low to the ground and create the illusion of less floor space.

Love these looks and want to know more? Stay tuned for some shopping finds fit for a small scale apartment!

Color Splash: Emerald Green

Happy St. Patricks Day!! I hope everyone is well and recovering from the weekend's festivities! Jaime and I are back with a color splash collaboration on everything green for this magical holiday.  I'm sure you know the drill by now but for a recap... these are the posts where fashion meets design. 

Bright colors are a difficult breed. They're fun to shop for and pick out both in the fashion and decor world but when you get home it might be a little tricky to put something together that works. Today we're showing you how to go bold and not be afraid of the color!

Here are a few of my favorite ways to incorporate a bold splash of emerald green into your home:

via Little Blue Deer

via Horchow

via Shell Decor

via Dimplicity

via Belle Maison

via Simple, Everyday Glamour

Jaime's Look:

For more style information and outfit inspiration be sure to visit Jaime over at Sunflowers and Stilettos.