Black & White

Happy Monday! Let's add a little drama to this week by starting off with none other than one of my favorite color combinations... Black and White. I don't even know how to describe it... or even justify it really.  If I could wear black, white and neutral everyday... and have everything in my house be black white and neutral as well... I would. Is this acceptable? or just an unhealthy obsession? Who knows.

Oh and maybe also because Scandal is back on for another season and Olivia Pope is my main bi*%$ er... woman. If you're a fan too then you know that she's always looking amazing in her Black and White combos. Does anyone else love Olivia Pope as much as I do?

9 Fall Must Haves

Instead of providing you with a wish list for all those fall items I'm loving right now... and yes, there's a lot of them! I figured why not prep you with a few items I'm pretty sure will be heavily trending this fall. Trending to the point where you should put them on your wish list ASAP. I mean that.. Most of these items are already on mine. {don't tell my bank account cause it won't know what hit it in a few weeks}

1. Gold Starburst Mirrors - These bad boys are not going anywhere out of trend anytime soon! If you don't have one yet.. go get one! This one is on sale right now!

2. Cozy Textiles - Faux furs are a great item not only to cozy up to on the couch on a chilly night but they look great draped over a side chair or sofa as well!

3. Skull Decor - Remember this post from last season? Time to take out those decorative skulls because they'll be coming back without a doubt.

4. Coffee Table Trays - The little things are always better in groups! I love seeing a nicely staged tray on a coffee table. No matter the material, it always makes your remotes, books, and candles look very well put together.

5. White Bedding - Ahhh, white bedding.. My one true love! You can never go wrong with stark white bedding on a sunday morning when you open up your windows and grab a cup of coffee and a book. That is all.

6. Magazines/ Coffee Table Books - Any kind of mindless reading material is great and easy decor to pile up in a side basket, on a bookshelf, or on a coffee table neatly stacked.

7. Smaller Coffee Tray - Great way to drink a cup of joe in bed on a chilly fall morning, or to use in staging a guest room for when you have company.

8. Candles - No need to explain this one. A grouping of candles is such a joy to see in someones home, makes it feel so cozy and welcoming!

9. Bar Carts - If you've been wanting to invest in a bar cart and just haven't had the chance to... now is definitely the time! Stock the top of your bar cart with a few bottles of wine and your favorite liquor to warm your insides during the fall season! Don't forget the festive cocktail napkins and agate coasters!

Which of these items are going on your wish list for this fall season?

Pumpkin Spice Latte

HAPPY FALL! It's that time of year again! Tis the season of yoga pants, over the knee boots, infinity scarves, and warm Starbucks lattes. For me, I'm a sucker for a plain jane caramel latte but I know how girls get when the PSL's hit Starbucks. {girls go crazy for PSL's} So, in typical trendy fashion - why not dedicate todays Moodboard Monday to the oh-so-popular PSL itself. I mean, it is that time of year right?

Who else is excited for the other important things like over the knee boots and infinity scarves..? I know I am!

Inside my Home

I love when my favorite bloggers share a little insight on their personal life. Nothing too personal, just little things. For me in particular I always get a little giddy when I see Instagrams that showcase little pieces of their home.... a new rug, their favorite little decor piece, a properly arranged tray, or even a great angle of their custom kitchen. Call me a nerd? Sure. But I just love seeing those little insights.

Today, unfortunately my home is not photo ready... but why not share some insight into a few shiny and sparkly things that have made their way into my home recently? 

1. Alarm Clock - I've been wanting to paint this little pint sized clock gold since I brought it home.. but the more I look at it the more I like it how it is! Decisions, Decisions..

2. Candlesticks - These white candlesticks are so perfect I bought two pairs - Yes, two pairs! One for my living room and one for my bedroom!

3. Vase - Here's another great white piece that has made it's way into my home. It looks so pretty with bright colored blooms in it too!

4. Sea Urchins - These. Let me tell you, I went through hell to get my hands on a set of these. I searched about 5 or 6 targets to try and get these and I'm so happy I didn't give up! I didn't hand them though... They're topping my books on my nightstands, and coffee table!

5. Task Lamp - This lamp is perfection. It's the best addition to my desk/vanity for when I am working late at night or putting my makeup on for the day.

6. Pear Salt & Pepper Shakers - How adorable are these!? They've been sitting on my dining table for over a month now and I just got around to filling them up. Too pretty to eat? Try too pretty to use!

7. Candles - These candles are the perfect size to fit on top of the candlesticks. They look great and the glass keeps the wax from melting all over the place as bare candles would.

8. Gold Pineapple - I've been swooning over the pineapple trend for a while now and I just knew that I had to have one. When I saw that Mintwood Home was running this giveaway I didn't even think twice before entering! It's pure perfection!

Trending: Cheetah Print

image via Lonny

I know at first glance you might be thinking that cheetah print is so 90's style.. well, think again. I personally love the neutral yet fierce pattern that cheetah print brings to the table. But, it must be mixed together correctly and doing so might be a little tricky without making it seem too.... well, tacky. {we were all thinking it right?}

Here are a few trendy ideas on how to incorporate that glamorous dose of animal print into your home this Fall & Winter season. Tip: Find an accent or focal piece and mix it with blacks, browns, white and gold and you are guaranteed to achieve a chic look!

accent chair & a pop of color | via issuu

neutral living space with a neutral print pillow | via Domaine Home

throw pillow for the bedroom | via The Hunted Interior

another neutral accent chair | via Julia Ryan

cheetah accent ottomans | via Lonny

last but not least, the amazing office/closet space of Rach Parcell of Pink Peonies

Can we just take a minute and talk about how amazing Rach Parcell's dream closet/office is? I've been following her blog for a while now and I just about die every time she posts little sneak peaks into her new home, or the decor at her house. Her closet is nothing less than perfect, I highly recommend checking the entire post out here.

Blueberries

I know this isn't one of my brightest moments I'm about to publicly share. But with that said, it does make for a great story... So here we go. Friday afternoon I accepted a 24lb. box of blueberries from a complete stranger.

I know what you're thinking. WHY. Don't take it. Trust me, it went through my head too. But before I knew it there I was standing in my living room with this box of frozen blueberries. {Large Box, might I add} My first thought was Holy S#*% what did I just do? I ran out onto my back porch with this "box of blueberries" and all of the questions of a paranoid twenty-something female ran through my head. Are these safe? Are they really blueberries? Why did this man come to my front door to give me these?

Long story short...Yes, my freezer is now full with frozen blueberries. Yes, they were safe {you can check out the company here} and yes, I'm fully prepared to look like Violet Beauregarde in a few weeks.

via

Thanks to the strange man who decided to knock on my front door and kindly give me that 24lb. box of blueberries.. I'll be repaying this random act of kindness by sharing my baking skills with my work and my neighbors! As for the first blueberry endeavor.... These delicious blueberry crumb cake muffins.

Savoring Summer

Shop these Looks from CB2:

Shop the Extras:

Don't go putting away those bright colors just yet! I know fall is right around the corner but let's talk about how to get the most out of those spring/ summer brights & bolds.

A great way to get the most of that bright decor is by changing up the placement of it all. Take some time this weekend and stage up your coffee table with all those pieces. The great thing about spring and summer is that you can get away with mixing bright colors and bold accents - a little thing we like to call color blocking.  Come fall and winter, you don't need to put all those decor items you love so much away for the season per say... You could very easily separate all of the colors and add neutrals and mixed metals to bring the  feel of the decor right into the next season. More details on how to transition to come! As for now, what's your take on squeezing the most out of the last few days of summer?

Desk Decor

Happy Wednesday! I've got everything 'office' on my brain this week and it all comes with some exciting news... I'm getting my office at work painted and better yet, I get to pick out the color tomorrow! I'll be sure to keep you updated and post back with pictures and colors but as for now, these are a few of the desktop items I can't get enough of! Which ones will make it to my desk?

Shop these items:

Alma Mater

In honor of school being back in session and fall classes in full swing, today's moodboard monday goes out to my alma mater.  High Point University brought me down to North Carolina, gave me my amazing education, and assisted with opening doors into the Interior Design and Home Furnishings world. It also brought me to Charlotte with the job I have today! For more purple color inspiration, check out my purple Pinterest board here.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I know I've been MIA this week a little - I'm sorry!! I've been helping another fellow blogger learn the ropes {my momma is a blogger now guys!!} Today she's launching her very own job recruiting firm and with her website she's decided to start a blog! It'll be filled with everything she knows and has learned over the past 25+ years she has been in the HR world! So for all of my friends in search of a job, or their next job.. Check her out!!

Besides all that exciting news, I also haven't shared a Friday Favorites post in a while..

I've been loving on all things acrylic lately - How perfect is this acrylic coffee table? via MadeByGirl

One day i'll have a guest room that looks as simple and perfect as this.. via Crystalin Marie

I've also been scouring Pinterest for all things desk du jour, I'm obsessed with this set up - via CASASUGAR

Desk Lovelies in a tray via The Everygirl

Another Home Office I'm obsessing over via The Glitter Guide

It's that time of year again where I get to start designing more student housing furniture - I'm loving this metal bookshelf via DigsDigs

Agate Affair

A huge trend in home decor as of recently has been the colorful accents of agate. They can grace your home in many different ways. A few of the most popular would be in the version of drink coasters stacked on your coffee table, or chunky bookends bringing color and sparkle to your reading collections. Check out a few of my favorite agate affairs and how they're inspiring home decor today:

Bookends:

via Cupcakes and Cashmere | via Centsational Girl

Coasters:

via m prssion | via etsy

Framed:

via hometalk | via Moth Design

Shop the agate products below: