Silver

       

Ever since Vicki mentioned metallic Converse, I’ve been seeing silver.

I usually consider it a color for wintertime, to match the ice and snow of the season.   It must be the 100+ degree weather that's kicked in recently that’s making silver so cool and refreshing and suddenly perfect for warm weather… 

These finds definitely say summer, don’t you think?

Silver flips… this must be the easiest way to add some chic to ANY outfit!

 

 

This isn’t really silver… the color is “Fools Gold.”   But it’s a beautiful shade and matches everything just the same… plus it’s large enough to fit a beach towel, a good book ,a massive bottle of water and sunscreen… all the summer essentials!

 

Pretty.

 

Useful.  And pretty.

   

Lanterns are a definite necessity for dining al fresco!  Love how they get a modern makeover in shiny chrome.

 

 

Are words even necessary for this Mexican tooled tin headboard?  W.O.W.  Simple white sheets would look so amazing against this beauty.

This Parisian Tea Cart side table gets an A+, year round.  Shelves, wheels, pretty silver finish… high achiever in form and function! 

 

Did somebody say Indian Summer?  I’m picturing both this eastern-inspired table and ottoman looking perfect on a patio with some mesquito netting and a cool breeze… 

 

 

Usually when I’m feeling the urge to indulge in a color or idea, I tend to do it on an “accessories size scale”…. it’s much easier to change out later without completely redoing a space or spending too much.

 

 

My interest in tooled metal has officially become an all out obsession.  They are truly works of art and epitomize “craftsmanship.”

 

On a less glitzy scale, galvanized metal will always suggest a relaxed country lifestyle. 

 

   

Organizing and accessorizing with one design detail.  Isn’t this desk organizer so cute and inspiring?

 

Inexpensive and multi-functional, look at all these wonderful uses for silver buckets…

 

Perhaps the best use of them is for your summertime barbeques and get-togethers with friends and family.  We’ve all got to stay hydrated and we might as well serve in style!

{Photos from 1. Amazon, 2. J. Crew , 3. Marc Jacobs, 4. Vivre, 5. Michael Kors, 6 & 7 Casamidy, 8 Harmony and Home, 9. West Elm, 10. Google Images, 11. Williams Sonoma, 12. Wisteria, 13 & 14. Market Import, 15 & 19. Pottery Barn, 16. Simply Natural, 17 & 18. Flickr}

Friday Flowers

 

Vintage bottles can be wonderful vases…  the small single serving Pellegrino bottles aren’t vintage, but they have this same beautiful green hue and look so pretty holding a few flower buds!

Have a great weekend!

{Photo from House Beautiful}

Spring Inspired Bathrooms

 

   

When I see this bathroom I can almost feel a cool spring breeze.  I love how tranquil it is… the mirror casually resting against the wall, crisply painted boards, the freshness of flowers…

   

In this bath one really can feel a spring breeze!  Fresh fluffy white towels in wicker baskets can make such an impact.  The dash of color brought in from the simple bud vase and single flower are so cheerful.

Wouldn’t this bathroom be such a delightful place to start your morning?  More flowers and more towels are never a bad thing… and neither is a rubber ducky of course!

{Photos via 1. unknown, 2. House Beautiful, 3. Better Homes and Gardens}

Friday Flowers

Can you believe it’s already May???

Don’t know about you, but this week has left me feeling like this…

It’s a clearly time for the weekend and for some Friday Flowers!

And maybe a caffeinated pick-me-up too!

Have a great weekend!

{Photos via Rodney Smith and Sarah Kaye}

Friday Flowers... minus the flowers!

It certainly is fashionable and fabulous to be "Green" these days...

With greenery like this, who needs flowers!




You can never go wrong with multiple arrangements in varying shapes and sizes!

Herbs planted in a wooden box is a perfect centerpiece for a weekend brunch!


Check out what else is fashionable over at Fifi Flowers and what is fab over at Simply Seleta.

Have a great weekend!

{Photos via Martha Stewart}

Making Lemonade

Yesterday I made a huge, thoughtless and obvious mistake- I left my purse in my locked car while I ran into a design shop. Surprise, surprise, my car was broken into and the purse absconded with. It kills me to think of my fave purse and all of it's crucial contents no longer being in my possession.... and it's also really painful to realize how dumb and avoidable the mistake was!

So to make lemonade out of this lemon of a story, here are some precautions that can be taken to lessen the panic or avoid this situation completely:

• Photocopy everything in your wallet, front and back, and keep in a safe place other than your purse or wallet. It makes the list of phone calls and credit card cancellations that much more efficient.

• Besides photocopying your drivers license, it's good to have another back up ID like a passport. I would be lost without mine right now.

• List or photocopy all gift cards, making note of their serial numbers. Most stores can re-issue them if they have this proof.

• Carry your checkbook and debit card separately. Had I done this, I could have simply re-ordered a new debit card. Instead, I had to totally change my checking account and will have to contact everyone/company that automatic payments are made to so they will go through.

• Get a mailbox with a lock. When you re-order your drivers license, new cards and checks you want to make sure the thief can't get to these too. Remember- if he/she has your drivers license, they have your address. Another option is to have things shipped to a different secure location, like your office or a P.O. Box.

• Write down the serial numbers of anything that has one- your purse, your wallet, your cell phone, camera, etc. You can submit anything with a serial number to the police so it can be traced more easily.

• Don't carry anything with your social security number on it. Most people don't, but you never know. I put a fraud alert on mine with all three credit bureaus immediately just for the extra protection.

• And the lesson that I should have known.... don't leave purses or valuables in the car! Even if they are not in plain sight, a thief could see you walk into a store without a purse and assume your lovely handbag is still in the car... oh how hindsight is 20/20!

Luckily, everything is replaceable and the things taken are just things. Slightly inconvenient to replace things, but still just things. So please learn from my mistake and carry those purses with you... they are meant to be fashion, not car, accessories after all!

Steel Beauties

Just loving the steel and glass details in these shower surrounds...

I'd take this vintagey steel surround in a heartbeat. All 40 glass panes to clean and all!



Steel goes modern and and I love it, don't you! The industrial look is so perfectly pulled off in this bath with the thick concrete countertop, ridged glass and patina'd steel frame.


The silvery stainless steel is like jewelry in this steam shower. Notice how these are functioning windows to let the steam escape.


Is there anything that goes better than white marble tiles, polished nickel fitting, and a diamond pattern leaded glass window that looks into your fabulous bedroom???

These are such interesting architectural details as well as a genius way to bring natural light into the shower... One more thing to add to the "Dreamhouse List"!

{Photos via House Beautiful, Mohon-Imber, Peter Dunham, and Cote de Texas}