Royal Designer

Just when you thought news about the Royal couple was fading off, I go and bring them up again.  I apologize.  When I heard that they were going to be spending their first couple years living in the country, I admit I got very curious as to what their house is like.  Aren't Royals supposed to live in Palaces?  Well after some digging around, I found the name of the designer hired to give their farmhouse a contemporary twist.  His name is Kenneth Bordewick and he is a Beverly Hills designer in the U.S.  His website boasts many important clients and his style is definitely over the top.  Would you say fit for a queen?

{all images from Kenneth Bordewick Interior Designs}

Purdy Please!

I'll take one of these please!  

Selling on Craigslist

I don't consider myself an expert, by any means, on reselling things on Craigslist but I have definitely sold my share.  I like to try and do the whole "one thing in, one thing out" rule.  It's also a great way to make a little money to put towards re-decorating which is exactly what I'm doing.  I sold this ugly oversized, overstuffed chair today which I wish I could claim was my husbands before we got married, but it wasn't.  What was I thinking!?  This led me to put together a post of hints I have learned along the way to sell successfully on Craigslist.

• Take Good Pics
• As a buyer, I don't even look at posts without pictures.  I have found it is very important to include a good picture of exactly what you are selling.
• Include Measurements
• If you're selling furniture make sure to include height, depth and width.
• Price Right
• Do your research and see what similar items are listed for.
• Be Safe!
• Schedule viewings and pickups when someone else is home with you.
• Clean it Up
• Whether its dusting a coffee table or vacuuming a sofa, clean it.  It may make you a little more money.
• Beware of Spammers
• I have learned that some people will respond to your ad only to get your email address when you respond back so that they can then spam you.  Usually these people will be very vague in their correspondence or may even be asking about the wrong listing.  Also, of course don't respond to people asking if they can pay with money order.

Sorry for the wordy post but I hope this helps!  Feel free to leave more suggestions if you have them.

Birthday Weekend

So yes it was my birthday Friday and it may or may not be my last year of my twenties, *sniff*.  I'll get over it.  My hubby surprised me with a horseback riding lesson Friday afternoon and wow! was it a great time.  I took lessons as a kid but never owned a horse and have always wanted to pick back up the hobby.  My husband has put back together one too many faces from horseback riding accidents so I never thought he would encourage it but he's a good one and he supports me in anything I do.  (He did say that I now have to let him go skydiving!)  I already have another lesson planned for Wednesday and this time I will take pics!

Since said husband worked a 24 hour shift this weekend, I kept myself busy by trying to hunt down the perfect chair to re-do.  I'm looking for something mid century with clean lines that I can reupholster.   There is lots of options on ebay but I have yet to pull the trigger.  I'd show you what I have my eye on but ebay doesn't seem to let me save the images?? Anyways my search also led me to my first thrift store adventure. They didn't have a whole lot of furniture but still some pretties none the less.

How cute is this chair!  Love the tufting.

 Don't believe it was milk glass as it had no stamp on the bottom but would still make a very cute vase.

Would look pretty on a dresser with perfumes.

Would have bought these pretty tumblers but the set only contained 3.  Hard to tell with the poor picture but it was a pretty silver etching on the glass.

**All pics were taken with my blackberry.  Lesson learned, next time bring a camera.

Blogger Blues?

Hmm, trying to figure out what is going on with blogger.  Somehow my post about the pendant lights was removed.  Anyone have any ideas as to what is the problem with Blogger?

Pendant Lights

It must seem like I talk about HGTV a lot but I really get a lot of inspiration from their various shows.  I was watching a rerun of Dear Genevieve the other day and she was on the hunt for an appropriate light for the clients dining room.  She ultimately decided on a handmade pendant light made by a woman I assumed was in the New York area as her show films in NYC.  After various google searches I tracked down the maker of the light. Turns out her name is Sarah Foote from Brooklyn.  She has been making one of a kind lights for 10 years and they are absolutely gorgeous!  Go check out her website, www.sarahfoote.net to see some of the awesomeness! 

House arrest

My allergies have been so terrible around these parts that I have practically confined myself to my apartment.  Allergy medicine makes me a walking zombie so I elect to suffer instead.  The pollen count is so high that my black car has a distinctive greenish tint.   For now I'll have to settle for looking at flowers via a computer screen.

{all images via my pinterest}

Marimekko for Crate and Barrel

Crate and Barrel has always been one of my favorite big box home design stores for its affordability and stylish classics.  When it was announced that they would be opening a store within-in a store with the Merimekko design (in New York!), I was very excited.  Merimekko is a Finnish company established in 1951 and known for their bright, bold patterns.   They have had a relationship with Crate and Barrel since the 60's but this is the first attempt at a store with-in a store.  Shortly after Crate and Barrel announced this collaboration, they added the products to their online website as well.  The products range from throw pillows to baby bibs!  Take a look.

I want it all!  It can all be found at Crateandbarrel.com.  Happy Shopping!

Friday Flowers

Happy Friday!  Working on a post for later but for now enjoy the tulips I scored for half off!  Should have bought even more.

Organized Closet

To go along with my spring cleaning kick, I have been organizing my closets.  We have small, poorly laid out closets in our new apartment and to keep them clean can be a challenge.  They lack any sort of shelves besides the requisite hanging bar so to get more bang for my storage buck, I made a trip to Target to check out organizational shelving.  For the bedroom closet I desperately needed something for my shoes.  I knew I didn't want anything permanent as this is just a rental.  Finding something with the shelves high enough to fit heels as well as a solid shelf so that the heel didn't fall through was impossible.  I ended up settling on a 3 tier stand and figured I could line the bottom of the shelves with cardboard to prevent the heels from falling through the cracks.  Of course regular brown cardboard wouldn't be pretty so I used shelf liner that I had left over and covered the cardboard with that.  I'm definitely not a DIY queen but I was pretty impressed with myself.  Take a look and I apologize for the cruddy pics but this project was done at night and it's impossible to take a good photo in a dark closet!

 See what I mean about the heels falling through?

 Much better.

Before:

My closets not normally this messy, I was in the process of clearing it out to make room for the shelf.

After:  

Blendo Glassware

If you would have asked me 20 years ago, while being dragged along with my mom antique shopping, if I was going to like antiques when I was older, I would have said you were crazy.  So when I stumbled upon this glassware recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I liked it!  It is perfect for summer and would look Oh so cute on my new bar cart.  It was mainly made in West Virginia during the 1960s and a quick look through Etsy and Ebay turns up quite a few sellers.  Take a look and I think you may like it as well!

Images via here, here, here, unknown

Green House

If you watch HGTV as religiously as I do, you have probably heard of the 2011 Green Home in Colorado.  I am beyond obsessed with the color palette of grays and yellows or how the art above the fireplace slides to the side to expose the t.v.  And the fact that it is made with many energy renewable resources is icing on the cake.  Take a look and tell me what you think!

Doggy Art

There has been a lot of chatter in blogland regarding using silhouettes as cool wall art.  A great example is seen here from Tanya at Dans Le Townhouse.  She put a great modern spin on a trend that tends to run traditional.  So when I ran across these super cute animal silhouettes from Mod Dog Shop on the blog Modern Jane Design, I was instantly smitten!  If you love your dog as much as I do, this is perfect!  They would also make a great gift for the dog lover in your family.

I *love* Herman Miller

For those of you who haven't heard of Herman Miller, I am happy to introduce you.  Herman Miller is a company founded in 1905 in Michigan.  They were originally known for their office furniture but have also produced other iconic pieces for the home including the Eames Lounge Chair and Noguchi Table.  I have been lusting over the Eames Lounger designed by Charles and Ray Eames for some time now and these photos make it look oh so delicious!

{images via here, here}