home is where the art is

Art is such a special element in any home or space. It adds so much color, texture and history to any design and can make or break that collected look you are aiming to achieve. Whether you are into abstract, portraits, landscapes or sketches, your art tells a story and really reflects on you and who you are. What you are drawn to. Like this below. My new favorite print "Spring Melody" from my girl Lindsay Cowles. It appears that the boy and I are into blood and cat scratches. First of all, we aren't. Secondly, this piece is beyond amazeballs. Again, it adds so much texture and color to an otherwise sterile white space. 

"Spring Melody"

For those of you wondering what is up with the grandiose frame, it was a DIY from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place. It really was quite simple for such a glamorous result. 

This is the beginnings of a very legit gallery wall. So my new favorite source for unique and fabulous art on the cheap, would be Vintage Printables. If you are not aware, it is a site that is hosted by the New York City Library, and they provide a plethora of images for free. Count it. So. I went to town and selected many images that I adored and thought would easily find a home here and saved the images on a jump drive. Took myself to Staples to have them printed appropriately on photo paper. And bingo bango. Art I shall have. The print with the sea fans on the top right would be one of these prints. 

Up close. 

Another fabulous print from the vintage printables. This time, for the boy. He loves science and I knew it would fit perfectly up in his office space. I was not disappointed. 

Some other pieces that I printed that WILL be finding a permanent home quickly. This piece sends my heart aflutter. For serious. The cobalt is too much AND I love a good Asian flair from time to time. 

Another fabulous print. Love the native feel we have going here and an awesome color scheme to boot. I will find the perfect frame for him to call home.  

One more art solution for you dolls on the cheap. Some call it cheap, I call it economical. I know you and I both love a bargain. How about a free bargain?? My favorite kind. How about ordering wallpaper samples from Anthropologie for $0? How about framing them for little vignettes? Yeah I thought you might like that. I am not sure if they carry this wallpaper anymore, but there are many others to choose from. Genius right? 

Close up. 

So what have we learned today? We can easily get a collected and eclectic aesthetic using art in any space AND we can do it in a cost effective way. What are your other art sources? Don't be so greedy and share! Loves!

Monday Musings: The Perfect Outdoor Patio

Happy Memorial Day Love Muffins! (Clearly I have been watching too many reruns of "Don't Be Tardy for the Wedding." Shameful.) Are we all having a lovely long weekend? Are we enjoying being outdoors? I hope everyone's weather is cooperating for outdoor activities. I will tell you this much, the humidity here kills a girl's do. It's narsty. Let's get down to the biz. As you all know, we moved into a house recently. I swear, every hour on the hour, I am thinking of new items that we never had to buy before having a house. What might you ask? Well at the tip top of my list is outdoor patio furniture. Now. Let's get one thing straight. I am cheap. I am. So sadly enough, we will not be forming a lovely outdoor space until the end of Summer when everything has been marked down to 75% off. Class. Sass.

I am not going to let that small little detail deter me from dreaming big though. Dreaming of the perfect outdoor patio. The perfect outdoor patio consists of a few key items in my book: Comfy/stylish seating, pops of bold color/pattern, playful lighting, a fun and functional rug, and last but not least a bar cart. Taaaaa daaaaaa. Look at all of the amazing outdoor spaces I have compiled that fit the bill. 

{fabulous k}

{decor8}

{the girls of lincoln park}

{decor pad}

{domino}

{lonny}

{house of fifty}

Are we in love? For serious. I am soooo in love. Unfortunately I will have to cool my jets until I make all of this a reality. But until then, here is my perfect outdoor patio. To dream the impossible dream.

Get the Look: 1./2./3./4./5./6./7./8.

So what is on your must have list for the perfect patio?? If you are already twerkin' the perfect patio, send pictures my way. I am jealous and dying to see what you're working with. Loves! 

Grilled Fruit and My Weekend Agenda

Halle freakin lujah Friday has arrived. Who am I kidding, everyday has been my Friday for weeks. But this is my last one before my big girl job starts. I shall live it to the fullest by cooking, being productive, dreaming up and implementing new projects. Let's be honest. Shall we? I will lay around in my sweats, attend happy hour and stuff my face. I love to keep it real. But I do have big plans for the weekend to get things done. Honest. We finally got a grill yesterday thanks to our parents. The boy's birthday is coming up (in August) and the parents decided to indulge us with a much needed grill. Of course, the wheels are now turning as to what I can concoct now that we have a grown up grill. For some reason grilled fruit is on the brain. I definitely need to make some of these. One thing is for sure, we will be grillin' this weekend. 

{Grilled Watermelon Salad}

{Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Cream}

Has anyone else seen this recipe floating around Pinterest? I am thinking it needs to make an appearance into my cooking repertoire once I start cooking again. I am thinking of substituting the rice for quinoa and maybe adding a little homemade southwest spicy sauce. 

{Crispy Southwest Chicken Wrap}

In other news, I scored this amazeballs rug from Richmond Craigslist for the boy's office that I cannot wait to get into place. Did I mention it was amazeballs and that it was also $20?

I have a project in the works that involves the following, but its not what you would think. You'll be shocked!

{Greek Key Trim}

I am ecstatic to find a home for my new Lindsay Cowles prints! Now, they just need the perfect frame! Seen here would be "Spring Melody" and "Southern Moonlight". Love and love. 

What are you loves up to this long holiday weekend? Anything good? 

My newest sponsor: Second Street East

So I love all of my sponsors and they wouldn't be my sponsors if I didn't. I believe in only representing products that I both love and would use myself. My newest sponsor is the loveliest Michelle from Second Street East. She makes the most awesome and unique pillows and textiles. I have styled her current pieces in two different looks so you can get the idea of just how amazing she is. Both totally different looks. Both fabulous. 

Look 1: Chandelier/Couch/Pillow/Pillow/Table/Rug/Art

Look 2: Rug/Black Lacquer Table/Pillow/Pillow/Bust/Chandelier/Art

Michelle also has a blog that is a daily read for me. She has such a fun take on all things fashion and design. AND. Big and, Michelle lives in my city of origin, the big KC. She is a doll. Check her out!

Living Room Updates. Your design expertise is wanted.

Darlings. Darlings. Darlings. Who recalls this amazing table by Richmond Thrifter that I purchased a couple of months ago? Well, she is finally home and we are friggin' bananas over it. It is so glamazon I cannot even stand it. Now I have to make sure that the rest of the room can keep up in style. 

It is super unique and definitely a one of a kind piece. I have to hand it to Erin as I consider her co-designer of this room. Her vision was amazeballs. Ahhhh! I need her to find me some more gems. Love that girl. 

So I definitely bought this rug that we spoke about soooo long ago. Honestly, I could not be more in love with it. It brings the perfect amount of color, pattern and old world feel to the space. It is just was just what I was looking for. It emits this magic carpet feel. I feel as though at any minute I could ride out on it for a "magic carpet ride." Now who doesn't want that kind of mystere in a space? If you don't, I don't want to know you. 

Other items seen styled here are some Barnes & Noble books from their "Bargain Book" section. If you turn your nose up at this section because it has titles such as "Pig Parts" and its other edition, "Chicken Parts," you are missing out. Big. Time. So I scored an Audrey Hepburn book, "Audrey Hepburn: A Life in Pictures," for a whopping $12.98. I mean seriously. AND a high fashion book "A Year in Fashion: A Look a Day" for an astonishing $6.98. Folks, you can't beat it. It is multi-purpose. The books can be used for styling and can also be read. What a deal. You will also notice the trusty Domino book, "The Book of Decorating." This pretty much serves as an interior designer's bible. It's a religious experience. The tray you will notice on the table holding the Mary bust and my irreplaceable Volupsa candle, is not actually a tray. I know you are all gasping. It is actually a framed picture. Yes, framed pictures can be trays too. 

Ok. So here is where you all come in. Obviously I am going to need new pillows for our couch. And a new couch for our couch. And a new chandy. We know this, and will get to that eventually. But my huge current dilemma here is art. I am totally thinking abstract. What are you all thinking? Here is the space bare:

Here are my thoughts. Option 1 from my girl Lindsay Cowles, I cannot resist her work. (And for those of you that have forgotten, she is STILL offering 50% off of her prints for S+S readers here until tomorrow):

Option 2:

Option 3, with these amazing paintings by Michelle Armas:

Or option 4:

Or an entirely different option? Please realize. We will have a new couch, with new pillows and new a glammy chandy eventually. Conceptualize. I need the art in place though. Give me your expertise. Loves!

Favorite Room Feature: A Thoughtful Place

Today. Today. We have the fabulously adorable and creative Courtney with A Thoughtful Place sharing her favorite space with us, her master bedroom. Just like MTV cribs, it is where the magic happens. Her bedroom is beyond elegant and is definitely an inspiration for me and what we are trying to achieve in our master bedroom. A clean, calming and serene space with a pop of glam. 


Hi! I am really so honored to be hanging out here today. I will jump right in with sharing one of my favorite spaces with you. While my children's rooms rank pretty high on my list, I have to say that lately our master bedroom has been one of my cherished spots. We wanted a very light and airy space with a touch of hotel glam. After running after two little ones and keeping up with the craziness that is life, we really love relaxing in this room. The best part is that the sun pours in through the windows each morning and is a really nice way to wake up. Here is a peek into our bedroom. 

   {photos by Jylare Smith}

Lindsay, thank you so much for letting me share a little piece of our home. It was so much fun being able to visit over here today. 

Tuesday Musings: Moroccan Wedding Blankets

Tuesday Musings just doesn't have the same ring to it. Does it? How are you darlings?!?! I am so sorry I was absent yesterday. Call the truancy officer. I will never do it to you guys again. I missed you all so much. It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but we have finally arrived at our final destination for good. A couple of things. 1. The boy graduated from law school this weekend with top honors. I could not be more proud. Seriously. 2. We finally packed up our last things (and were forced to leave some) last night and headed home to our new home for good. Richmond. 3. How in the hell is Blogfest going? I feel so out of the loop. I hope all of you are having a FAB time! Let's get to it. 

So remember my master bedroom debacle? I had three aesthetics that I was toying around with, but I have finally arrived on the winner. You all have already been clued in on the plan for the headboard. I have decided to go the route of understated glam in our bedroom. I want all whites, creams, golds and silvers. Anything glitz, glam and metallic. Really.  I want to keep the bedding simplistic and versatile with go to staples but also add an accessory with a twist. What might that be? The Moroccan Wedding Blanket. It is non-negotiable. It is happening. I love the pattern, texture and old world feel it brings to a space. It is so whimsical and brings such a special feel to anything it touches. For purposes of ease, I shall name it the MWB (Moroccan Wedding Blanket). But in effort to not be as annoying as Rachel Ray, I will not repeat the actual meaning of the acronym every time I mention the acronym. Promise. 

Look at this amazing boho glam space. I love the mixture of whites,creams and metal. The bedding is everything I am going for. Look how gorg that blanket is. You cannot deny. 

{decor pad}

Another beautiful MWB at play here. It is such a subtle accessory but doesn't it add so much character here? Loving all of the animal print/fur at play here. For serious. 

{bit o honey}

Ahhhnn. None other than the fabulous JA at play here. Shocker. Another gorgeous MWB I shall steal. This one happens to bring a little more brown into the room but is nonetheless fabulous. Who is loving that leopard print bench? I could use it as a mock fainting couch. I am such an improviser. 

The Parker Palm Springs by Jonathan Adler

Lovely space. Lovely florals. Lovely Moroccan. It is the perfect compliment to this feminine space. Instead of using this as an accent at the end of the bed, they used it on the ENTIRE bed. Too much? Never. 

{decor pad}

I have to say. This MWB seen here, may be my very favorite. If anyone has seen ANYTHING like this...I mean ANYTHING, please let me know. It would be treated as an emergency. 

{Lonny}

Lovely MWB on a daybed. 

{Lonny}

What a fun, bright and eclectic space. Obviously a musician resides here. A very stylish one. I am pained that a guitar and a plate of apricots are covering up that glamorous MWB. Shame on them. 

{pinterest}

Another fabulously feminine space. Another fabulous MWB. Is anyone else loving that chinoiserie wallpaper as much as I am? The Asian details are killing it. 

{luuux}

Gorgeous neutral space glammed up with a MWB.

{laviva home}

So do you see what I am talking about? I cannot resist. Cannot. I have a few that I have my eyes on. One in particular from my girl crush Amber Lewis from Amber Lewis Design. Obsessed with her. Need this piece from her collection once I have $395 bones sitting around. I might die without it. 

Moroccan Wedding Blanket 2

Some other fabulous pieces that I have my greedy eyes on are these awesome vintage MWB's by Red Thread Souk. It is an awesome store that has amazing exotic carpets, blankets and home decor. My new obsession. 

Vintage Moroccan Wedding Blanket

Vintage Moroccan Wedding Blanket

Vintage Moroccan Wedding Blanket

Vintage Moroccan Wedding Blanket

Needless to say, it is going to make our master bedroom perfect. So if I don't get one soon, I may very well tantrum. Sigh. Love you loves! I will never leave you again!