Mix and Match

Today I'm sharing a little peek into one of my new favorite spaces in my house. Simplifying the gallery wall and isolating it to a singular photo ledge gives you the ability to change out picture frames and artwork with minimal effort. And if you're anything like me and are completely indecisive then this is the perfect concept. I can tell you for a fact though... the one item that is not changing from my photo wall is this beautiful custom painting. Let me introduce you to the The Painted Elephant. The creative mastermind behind The Painted Elephant and a local to Charlotte, Alysa Wayland is truly an amazing artist. My ginger jar painting should say it all {similar painting here}

I finally took my love of ginger jars to my bedroom, bringing in the whites and blues found in the  timeless chinoiserie jars with an Anthropologie twist. I've paired this beautiful painting with a variety of frames in different sizes and materials. Combining wood, ceramic, and painted frames {and a touch of gold} create the mix & match/ anthro feel that we all know and love. I also mixed both photos and artwork with the painting to continue the look I was going for.

Alysa could not have done a better job with this painting - the use of bright colors and the depth and light perceived with brushstrokes just blows my mind. I can't help but think of it as a combination of Lilly Pulitzer meets Andy Warhol... and I LOVEE both, especially Andy Warhol. {there's the art student in me coming out} Below are the images that I shared with Alysa when we were discussing what kind of painting I was thinking of for this space. I'm sure by now we all know my love for ginger jars, and some of my favorite paintings of Alysa's are of her beautiful hand painted blooms. I sent her these images thinking that I could combine the two and she did not disappoint.

Alysa's artwork is available on her etsy shop, she also offers custom signs and artwork perfect for baby showers, wedding gifts, or personal gifts if you want one for yourself! 

Follow along with The Painted Elephant

website // instagram // facebook // blog

Shop & Contact The Painted Elephant

etsy // email

Creating a Reading Nook

Nina Chair

The other day a few of my close girlfriends and I were talking about starting a book club. Nothing special or too much of a commitment, but it sounds like something fun and hey, it's a great excuse to get together and drink wine right?

Well even though I'm the last person you'd catch leisurely reading a book on a given night, I've always loved the idea of having a little reading nook. And when I saw this beautiful fuchsia chair at World Market the other day, I just couldn't stop staring.  So, I've decided.. this chair will be mine someday.  Doesn't it create the perfect pop of color? This chair would make that space complete - Somewhere you can go to just sit there and enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book. {maybe i'd actually get to put a dent into my never ending reading list...} Here's what I'd put into my reading nook to make it my cozy little getaway:

1. Bright, comfy chair
2. Small side table
3. Table lamp
4. Small bench
5. Coffee mug
6. Decorative pillow
7. Cozy throw
8. Candles
9. Basket for extra throws or books

Styling a Tray with Mintwood Home {Giveaway}

Orange & Green // Blue & Yellow // Pink & Green

I'm so excited to be partnering with Mintwood Home this week to bring you ideas for using trays within your home. If you haven't heard of Mintwood Home before, I'll forgive you... They're kind of the new kids on the block. So I'm here to introduce you - and you can thank me later when you realize that you've been browsing through their website for hours and haven't actually gotten anything productive done... Been there, done that.

If you haven't noticed by now, I absolutely love trays. They're so versatile, come in every size and shape you can imagine and they can be used many {i mean many} ways. Most commonly known for their use on bar carts and coffee tables; they're great for holding books, remotes, and decorative objects as well as organizing your favorite liquors. The one thing most people don't think about are the other fun uses for trays.

So, You've got guests coming over for the holidays and you want to welcome them into your home in a creative way... Set a tray by the window in the guest room and display shampoo, conditioner, a candle and any other bath & beauty accessories they could use while they're there! I know my cousins and college girlfriends would love to have access to the latest Essie nail colors.

This tray would be the perfect pairing for your coffee mug on a sunday morning when you just don't want to get out of bed yet. Set it by the window with style and not just on the window sill like you would have in college... {just me?} 

With a larger tray, you've got more room to play and get creative. Set your guests up with the book you just finished, a candle, and don't forget that wifi password! How many times have you gone to someones house and asked for their password? We are in a world now where internet and social media are must haves and sometimes, you just have to embrace it. Sharing your wifi password with your guests this way adds some creativity to their stay and makes them feel right at home!

Make yourself feel like a guest in your own home and enjoy a good book, with a cup of coffee and a nice candle. All those things that might be cluttering your nightstand can make you feel pampered for an afternoon when you set them up on a tray and enjoy some time relaxing! 

Shop this Post:

Orange & Green Tray // Blue & Yellow Tray // Pink & Green Tray

Blue & White Candle // Gray Candle{similar} // Gray Matches // Pink Matches

Coffee Mug // Gold Sea Urchins // Coffee Table Books

A huge thanks to Mintwood Home for sponsoring this post. Enter Below for a chance to win the Canary Yellow & Cobalt Blue Ikat Tray photographed above! Giveaway ends Tuesday 11/4 and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 11/5!

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Comfy Cozy

via Sally Rhys-Jones

Back in June, this beautifully soothing bedroom was featured in Adore Magazine. I remember flipping through the pages of their online e-magazine and seeing this beautiful space but moved on thinking, I'll come back to it. Well, a few weeks back I pinned the same exact image to my bedrooms board on pinterest and I immediately saved the image to my desktop. I mean, how could you resist? Look at it! It's perfection!

What's even better? There's a ton of items and ways in this one singular image to help transition your bedroom to the fall//winter months.  Start with your basic white bedding, keeping the furniture you have, and adding some candles, a faux fur throw, a few snazzy pillow covers or some decorative pillows, and a new basket and there you go. Comfy, Cozy and ready for fall! Your sunday mornings spent in bed reading a book will thank you later.

Nightstand // Table Lamp // Blue Pillow // Brown Pillow
Faux Fur Throw // Basket // Tray // Candle // Candle

Rugs Under $200

One thing every living room needs besides the obvious....sofa, tv, coffee table, etc.? If you're asking me, add a colorful or geometric area rug to that space and make it something to talk about! Check out this video below from Emily Henderson on how to choose the perfect size rug for your room and you'll be in business in no time!

Shop These Rugs:

Check out these other rugs I'm loving currently:

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?

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!

Hosting & Toasting: Part 4

via Style Me Pretty

There are numerous ways you can set a table for an event. No matter what you may be hosting, when there's a will there's a way, right? To finish out this wonderful little mini series with The Blush Label, why not give you some inspiration and shopping ideas so you can bring the party into your home and be prepared to host and toast with your friends and family!

via The Perfect Palette

via Design Love Fest {includes placemat tutorial}

image

Here's are ideas for setting your table depending on whether your event is formal or informal. It's a great cheat sheet if you ask me! You'll look like a pro if you follow this!

via Alexan Events

Shop Dinnerware:

Shop Glassware:

Shop Dinner Party Extras:

And don't forget to check out The Blush Label for all of the table linens you could need! Placemats, cocktail napkins, they've got some darling patterns and colors!

Bathroom Talk

Bathrooms come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Some have soothing tubs and tile walls, or walk in showers and large vanities. Wood floors, Tile floors, you name it - it's been done. Bathroom renovations are very popular and while it may seem the easiest {since they're usually the smaller of the rooms in the house..} plumbing and waterproofing can be quite the DIY nightmare. BUT {you have to expect the 'but'} if they're done right... Bathrooms can be the most calming, pretty place in the house. In my opinion at least!

Speaking of colors, shapes and sizes - Check out these captivating Black and White bathrooms. I can't stop swooning over these five in particular! They're so striking I just want to take a bubble bath!

HGTV

Indoors Outdoors Tumblr

The Hunted Interior

Curbly

Creative Home Body

To see more bathrooms I've been loving lately, check them out here.

Hosting & Toasting: Part 2 {DIY}

I hope everyone is as happy as I am to see Friday again! Welcome back to the Hosting & Toasting mini series! If you didn't catch the Part 1, {see here} Today's post features a very simple and easy DIY that I'm sure you've seen on Pinterest a time or two. These wine cork table settings create name tags for your guests to feel extra special at that dinner part or mimosa brunch you're hosting! And when I say easy, trust me on this one! So, crack open the wine and drink up cause we're going to need those corks for this one!

Here's what you need:

First start out by using a pencil to practice writing out each of your guests names. {my roommate and I like to drink wine, so why not use our names as an example} Once you've found the style you like, go over it with a sharpie or pen of choice and make it look like calligraphy.. {Here's a great tutorial}

Stick each named label back to back with a blank label to create your name tags.

Next, cut off the bottom of your wine corks {less than half as shown} This will help your corks stand up straight.

At the top of the cork {opposite side of the bottom you just cut off} create a slit in the top for the name tag to sit in.

Neatly place your name tags into the slit that you have created at the top. And you are complete!!

But really, how simple was that? I think the hardest easiest part will be consuming all of that wine to get your wine corks {let's hope you're not having a large guest list for dinner!} Have you tried anything similar to this for table settings and name tags?? I'd love to hear about your Hosting & Toasting DIY's!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway with The Blush Label to win a set of their beautiful placemats!! The giveaway ends next friday!!

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