Favorites Friday: February

We're baaccckkkkkk!  Since February is obviously a short month (not to mention, it FLEW by) and the first day of March just happens to be a Friday, Allison and Ann are here again with our FRIDAY FAVORITES from February!  Can we get a what-what?!  A whoop-whoop?!  Ok, so we're overly excited and a little obnoxious about it...enough of that; let's just get started:

Ann's Top Ten:

1. This is my Valentine's Day dedication, talk about sexy. Maybe next year I can get a babysitter and find an equally sexy outfit to enjoy.

 

2. This month's color combo just fell into my lap and oddly enough came up twice in one day, and it made me stop and say "Wow! I really like that!"

'Golden Gate' Photography: Andrey & Lili 

 

3. Yummy! These little peep toes are absolutely delicious! They could be dressed up or go casual, their versatility makes them even better.

 

4. I'm thinking ahead for Easter, I found these on Pinterest and can't wait to try them! Hopefully I can find the time to do them. Check out this great site for instructions: Rubber Cement Dyed Eggs

5. It's is my favorite piece we got in this month, it's a great size, not too big, not too small and can be used for a wide variety of uses. It combines style and function seamlessly.

6. I am a sucker for containers and storage, that brings us to our accent piece for February. These are small and add storage to just about any room. How cute are they?!?!

 

7. My jewelry pick is going chunky this month, the picture does NOT to it justice, the faceted beads pick up the light and sparkle, sparkle, sparkle! Love it!

 

8. Pillows, another item that most interior designers can't have enough of. I'm sure my husband is happy that I can control myself from having a plethora of them in our house (or at least I think so). I love the pattern of these and the colors are nice and neutral.

9. This is the only type of drama I like in a room. And boy, did they hit the nail on the head on this one! I love the long window treatments and even though the color isn't heavily distinguished from the wall color, the thin black on the inside makes enough of a statement. The color palette is soft and sensual, very inviting.

Houzz by Jane Lockhart designs

10. This month's recipe is another soup.  If we ever get out of winter, I promise they won't all be soups! This one was scrumptious, but I also love anything with avocado on top.  
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Allison's Top Ten:

1.  My favorite piece of furniture we got in this month is this beautifully painted jewelry armoire.  I just love the vintage feel, the tassel antique key, and the ornate flower details.

 

 

2.  One of my New Year's resolutions this year (actually more like every year) is to get more organized.  This idea made me so excited and makes me want to organize my flip-flops like NOW...but it's snowing.  I have a hard time organizing my shoes, and trust me, I can make a room look like a war zone searching for the "wandering wedge" that's shoved under the bed rather than "where it should be" aka the closet.

 

 

3.  If you put something peanut butter in front of me...I'm going to eat it.  If you put something peanut butter with chocolate in front of me, I'm definitely going to eat it.  This month, I made Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites from Sally's Baking Addiction.  Seriouslyyyy one of the best creations I've ever created.  To die for.  I really wanted to make them again, but with Girl Scout cookies coming and swimsuit season right around the corner,  I figure I better hold off.

My creation didn't appear quite as "pretty" as Sally's, but when it comes to delicious tasting, who needs to be a perfectionist?! Here's a snapshot of mine:   :)

4.  "The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her."-Marcelene Cox

...and ain't that the truth?!  Shopping will show multiple aspects of a woman's personality.  Whether she is impulsive or cautious, wasteful or frugal, indecisive or certain, outgoing or reserved, nice or rude, the list could go on.  It will also explain what she likes, her fashion personality or if she even enjoys shopping to begin with!  (I usually assume girls that say they "don't like shopping" are fibbing...but we can agree to disagree.)

 

 

5. Ah...Jennifer Lawrence...From the fall at the Oscars, the interview following, to the gorgeous looks, style, and blunt candidness, what's not to love about her?!  Honestly, I'm pretty positive no other girl in the universe could have fallen so flawlessly in a Dior dress and handled it with such an incredible sense of humor...which has made her every girl's most recent girl crush.  Her hilarious backstage interview won me over and made me wish I could hang out with her ALL. THE. TIME...we'd seriously be BFFs.

 

6.  I'm a sucker for glitter, shine, and all things sparkly.  My jaw literally dropped when I stumbled across this picture on Pinterest.  Glitter in a lampshade?!  SERIOUSLY?!  I NEED to own one of these...possibly a DIY project?

7.  Continuing with glitter and on to the upcoming holiday of Easter...a little Easter DIY that I thought was simply egg-dorable.  A little something-something from Martha Stewart.  Here's the Glittered Egg How-To.

8.  This bathroom...looks like one of the most relaxing at-home retreats that anyone could ask for.  Thank you, Chapman Interiors, for some re-modeling inspiration.  Bye, I'll be in here for hours.

9.  Gaslight Anthem's "45".  This has been a favorite for a bit, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to blast the volume, jump around, sing at the top of my lungs, and go in complete rock out mode every single time I hear it.  Their entire "Handwritten" album is prettyyyy good, so if you enjoy "45," go ahead and check out the rest of their tunes.

10.  I'm not sure if you've all heard of the adorable British singing/dancing duo known as Sophia Grace and Rosie.  These cute little princesses became known around the world after a YouTube video of the two performing Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" went viral and fell in to Ellen's hands.  Well, they've done it again, but this time a cover of Taylor Swift's "Trouble."  Enjoy.

Photo Credits: Chapman Interiors, Fanpop.com, Fine Art America, Houzz.com

2013 = Emerald Green

Wow! This short month calls for a short blog! It has gone way too fast, but here we are... this month I want to talk about color. Specifically, the color of 2013; emerald green.

I've always been a little biased toward this color since I was born in May, but I was most definitely pumped to hear the color forecast. This rich colored green is gorgeous!

Green is easily a go-to color, it can range in the warm tones to the cooler tones. Green naturally has a tendency to make people think of freshness, youth and the deeper tones let us escape to a luscious rainforest. Growth, nature, environmental, a soothing and calming sensation, all are thoughts associated with the color. You can't go wrong.  Lets not forget green's association with good luck! So for 2013, keep emerald green in your living spaces and keep the luck coming!

Photo credits: Pinterest

Favorites Friday: January

Allison and Ann here! We're so, so excited about this first monthly blog post.  YAY!  We've decided to do something a little different this time and once a month, we'll post our top ten favorite things from the previous month.  Our favorites are whatever we choose, so topics include pieces we got in store, rooms we fell in love with, fashion, beauty, decorating, music, you get the point...basically whatever we wish.  So, for our first, here are both of our favorites from January!  We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

Ann's Top Ten

1. The most amazing furniture item we got in was this bright green, tufted and studded chair. I may or may not own it.

 

2. My favorite accessory item that came through the store was this large, red charger. It's a great piece but I don't have red anywhere in my home or a place to put it. :(

Modern Dining Room design by Boston Interior Designer Rachel Reider Interiors

3. My favorite room I found on Houzz.com this month is this dining room from Rachel Reider Interiors. I love the variety of color, the texture of the chandelier shade, the artwork, centerpiece, and the aysymmetry of the banquette and chairs. 

4. January's best piece of jewelry is this necklace. It is great, adding a little bling to your outfit and can be worn casual or formal.

 

5.  I will more than likely ALWAYS have a pair of shoes on my top ten.  I have always been a shoe girl and this month, these cobalt blue peep toes take the cake!

6.  This outfit I found on Pinterest is my favorite for January, very classy and no one would be surprised to find it in my closet.

7.  My favorite quote for the month is, "The creative adult is the child that survived".

8.  I was stuck on a color combination of purple and grey.  Here are some great examples:

9.  January's best event I attended was the Ice Festival in the Delmar Loop.  The weather was gorgeous and warm, although not good for the ice.  A great day to walk the Loop with family and friends, see the ice sculpures and live demos.

10. My best recipe that, yes, I did successfully make was this creamy tortellini soup. I pinned it on Pinterest and only omitted the mushrooms. :) Still yummy!


Allison's Top Ten

1. My favorite piece(s) of furniture that came in this January. Alright, so I loved the green chair Ann posted equally as much, but I can't get over these amazing detailed chairs. The curved/scroll back, the tufted arm, chenille fabric, vintage feel, just love, love, love.

2. My favorite home accessory that I came across this month is this handpainted Mexican tequila box. The details and colors are awesome and it is definitely a piece you don't come across every day.

 

 

3. Sequin wall wallpaper from Tracy Kendall. Enough said.

4. Alright, so they had my attention at "cake batter". If anything contains those two sweet words together, I'm more than likely going to attempt creating it. I made these Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I must say they were deeee-lish. Nomz. Want now.

5. I am a bit of an OPI enthusiast and probably have more polishes than one should ever admit to owning...Throughout January, Russian Navy was my go-to color. This deep blue shimmery color makes a dark, bold statement without appearing too goth. Also, navy pairs well with just about any color so it makes for the perfect staple polish.

 

6. Sephora's Long-Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner in black. Honestly, this has been one of my makeup staples for years. In January, I made an attempt at being adventerous and tried out a few different eyeliners.  Bottom line, I ended up coming back to this one. It stays put ALL day, the shorter stick makes the application much easier than others and it is highly pigminted. I love trying new things, but some things are better left alone.
(A bit of advice for liquid newbies: Use a dampened q-tip to clean up the messy parts so that it creates a more precise, consistant line, and makes those pretty peepers pop)

 7.  Outfit Picks.  I'm loving the military-inspired look right now and this green is awesome.  It's looks stunning with the whites and metallics.  I can't wait for our chilly STL weather to go away so I can wear the casual-chic outfit on the right...perfection. 

Then this photo above...the girly white dress paired with the bow belt and oversized sunnies just makes me happy :)

8.  So if you know anything about Midwest weather, it's what most of us like to refer to as "bi-polar".  One January day may be 65 degrees and sunny then 2 days later, there's 4 inches of snow on the ground.  During those freezing, possibly snowy days, I would dream and wish for a tropical Mexican-inspired lounge pictured above.  Add in chips and salsa, delicious spicy chiptole fish tacos, and some margaritas and we'll be set.  Dream escape right there.

9.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to attempt at least one of my Pinterest pins per week.  A few weeks ago, the Victoria's Secret Model Ab Workout seemed like a great choice.  Boy, oh boy...Although it was a struggle to get through the entire workout (not to mention it hurt to laugh for a few days), it was well worth it...in the good kind of pain way.

10.  Music.  It was really difficult for limit it down to just 3 songs that I could listen to on repeat all day, every day, so picking choosing just one would have been impossible.  That being said, here are my top 3 music picks from January:

Be Bold

A look this self-proclaimed accessory junkie is loving right now: MAJOR statement necklaces…seriously. Whether it’s shopping with the girlfriends, weekend brunch, typical work day, or a date night out, you can’t go wrong by simply adding oomph to that outfit with a bold neckpiece. It is possible to make these pieces work for casual-chic every day wear or glitzy-glammed up nights and I’m about to show you how.

Adorn a chunky sweater, tee, faux fur, or button down, leggings and your favorite boots with a chunky piece of your choice. Perfect for cold day errand running or cozying up by the fire.

If layering is your thing, choose the peek-a-boo style with your button down and sweatshirt...

or simply throw on a pretty necklace with a fitted tee for a "I want to be comfy but still look glamorous or adorable" style status. This emerald/white combo is to die for (not to mention emerald is Pantone's 2013 color of the year...YAY!)

 

Boho Chic by allisonryoung featuring statement necklaces

 

Sweet and Sassy by allisonryoung featuring statement necklaces
 

Just because the piece is bold doesn't mean your top needs to be. If you're a skeptic about mixing too much, aim for one color in each piece to be the same or similar...or just go with leopard print, you can seriously pair any color with it and look great!

 

Pearl Statement by allisonryoung featuring cotton sweaters

Statement Necklace by allisonryoung featuring a gold cocktail dress

Refresh, Restyle, Redo

Now that the holidays are over and the decorations are down, the house looks a hmmm... bare. I do this every year as many people do, it's a big month in the furniture and decorating world. Everyone has visited a lot of family and friends over the holidays and gets to check out their lovely homes and then it gets you thinking, hmm, I've been meaning to replace the _______(insert furniture item here). Then BAM! It happens, you've been inspired to tackle the task. First things first, twist the husband's arm into agreement until he moans and groans through the entire process. It then naturally turns from one furniture item to the entire room. (We knew that all along though, right)? Good thing after all the holiday spending it seems you have extra money for the moment! The point being, here are some things to keep in mind as you go about your "refreshing".

I like to suggest in the ways of paint always get a sample size first and put it on the wall, picking paint samples from an inch and a half square is completely unrealistic. Secondly, it will always look different on the wall and in the various lighting you receive in your room. Don't forget the ceiling too, it is the fifth wall after all!

Lighting, a very important aspect in any space, (maybe my favorite) is fun to work with as well. It is more complicated than paint so I'll touch on the basics. Lighting can dramatically change the mood of the room, so beware. Incandescent bulbs will be warm and inviting and the fluorescents and some of the efficient ones are much cooler, again effecting the paint color and the mood of the space. The shades on lamps will determine how much light is emitted, so keep in mind if the lighting will be functional or ambient.

Rugs are not limited to just hardwood floors, carpeted floors can be layered with a rug too. Both rugs and window treatments are a great and easy way to add more color and pattern. A general rule of thumb when mixing patterns, be sure that they are different sizes and they will be compatible.

Accessories are scattered throughout, maybe an accent piece or two but these items can really tie a room together. You can get creative and add your color in these items: pillows, artwork, items on bookcases or tables.

Furniture, ah, the best for last. Furniture can be tricky, it can be hard to find the best compromise of comfort and style. It IS possible, I assure you. I do caution you that you can be picky or cheap, usually not both. :) Keep in mind also, you may have to order things in order to find the best option. It is worth the wait to do it right and be happy with it for years to come. Of course, resale shops will have things in stock at incredible prices without necessarily compromising quality. (Nice plug, huh?!)

Many people find this whole process overwhelming and understandable so. There are many aspects to juggle and it can be a challenge to foresee how they will all come together. That being said, as usual, I can be the one to step in and help you pull it all together if need be. You know where to find me!


Photo Credits: Pinterest, Houzz