New Spring Finds at Target

Even though it hasn’t felt like it the past few days, Spring is officially here. We all know that Target is a great place to find new furniture and home accessories at affordable prices, so why not get a few things to update your home for spring? Target’s spring collections dip into several different trends, including nautical, floral, brass/gold, kilims and world prints, spring hues, and natural textures. There are tons of good pieces but below are a few of my favorites. I’ll take one of everything, please!

Threshold 9.4” Urchin Sculpture, $20 / Threshold X-base Ottoman in Mango Berry, $60 / Threshold Kilim Square Poof, $56* / Threshold Floral Lamp Shade (Large), $25 / Threshold Woven Diamond Patterned Pillow, $20 / Threshold Brass Cage Accent Table, $70 / Threshold Round Rope Mirror, $40 / Nate Berkus Accent Table – White Washed, $80 / Threshold Striped Storage Bin, $20

* current sale price

I’m also really loving this metal patio bench. The back is reminiscent of the Chinese Chippendale style, which I’m obsessed with, and it’s currently on sale for only $155. That’s a great price considering it also includes the cushion. It could be the perfect piece to dress up our front porch!

Are any of the above items on your wish list now? Or have you found any other great pieces at Target lately?

Book Favorites: The Mark of the Dragonfly

Hello friends! I know that Blue 11 Interiors is primarily a decorating blog but I have a wonderful book to share with you today: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson.

The Mark of the Dragonfly is a children’s fantasy-adventure novel. Though its intended audience is readers in grades 4-8 I absolutely loved it! I haven’t read a children’s book in a long time but I am a big fan of young adult fiction (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, etc.), and I think the Dragonfly is a great read for YA fans. Here’s the description from Amazon:

Fans of The City of Ember will love The Mark of the Dragonfly, an adventure story set in a magical world that is both exciting and dangerous.
   Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.
   The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.
   The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.
   Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

"This magnetic middle-grade debut...[is] a page-turner that defies easy categorization and ought to have broad appeal."-Publishers Weekly, starred
"Heart, brains, and courage find a home in a steampunk fantasy worthy of a nod from Baum."-Kirkus Reviews, starred

Now, in the interest of full disclosure (ok, also because I’m really proud of it), the author of the book, Jaleigh Johnson, is my sister-in-law, but I don’t love the book just because I’m related to its creator. Jaleigh has created a beautiful fantasy world called “Solace” to serve as the setting for her story. Her descriptive imagery is fantastic and her main characters are very likeable. Piper is incredibly brave and strong in the same vein as Katniss from Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent.

The steampunk theme is another wonderful element of the book. The inventive steam-engine train setting and Piper’s special abilities to fix machines is a great introduction to steampunk for kids. It blends wonderfully with the fantasy world and the dystopian feel.

The Mark of the Dragonfly was officially release yesterday and I came home to attend the book release party at the Barnes & Noble in Champaign, IL. It was a huge success; in fact, I had intended to buy several copies to bring back for some friends but they ran out of books before I got there! I still waited in the (long) signing line to get to say hi to Jaleigh though.

I highly recommend The Mark of the Dragonfly for yourself or your kids if they’re at a middle grades reading level. Buy it, read it, love it

Here are a few links about the book if you’re interested in reading more:

• Publisher’s Weekly Review
• Kirkus Review
• Interview/Giveaway with Jaleigh Johnson on Lit Stack
• Guest Post: Jaleigh Johnson on the Nook blog

 

 

Bits O’ Green + My New Rugs

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Today is the day when all the Irish celebrate their heritage and everyone who isn’t Irish pretends they are . In case you missed it, last Thursday I shared some of my favorite green rooms with you. I don’t have a lot of green in my own home (I’m more of a blue girl, as you probably know), but as I looked around the house I realized I had more pops of green than I realized.

I even donned a bit of green myself today with the help of a pretty scarf.

I’m trying to practice my photography skills (is that awkward top hand claw-position normal??), and to help me learn how to use my new Nikon DSLR camera I enrolled in A Beautiful Mess’s e-course “Mastering Your DSLR.” Class starts today, wish me luck!

I also wanted to share pictures of my new rugs! Remember when I posted about the rug sale at West Elm? Well I went ahead and bought two of the graduated stripe cotton dhurries: a 5’x8’ for the dining room and a 3’x5’ for the kitchen. Together they only cost $96 plus tax and shipping.

What do you think? And aren’t the pink tulips so pretty?! Ben brought those home for me the other day, what a sweetie  

That’s all for today folks, have a safe and fun St. Patty’s Day!

Friday Favorites

Here’s what I’m loving this week.

This Dress

I’m attending my very first blogging conference, Go Blog Social, in a few weeks. A lot of the bloggers that are going are fashion bloggers so I want to step up my game style-wise to fit in. I went shopping with a friend on Monday and she helped me pick out this super cute maxi dress from Forever 21. I bought a big mint colored statement necklace from Francesca’s similar to the one shown, and now I just need to get something to go over the dress, either a cropped denim jacket or a little black cardigan. Which do you like better?

This Book

I know a lot of people have already read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green so this will be old news to those people, but I absolutely adored this book. It’s hard to describe why. The plot doesn’t sound particularly enjoyable: a young girl (Hazel) with terminal cancer meets a cancer survivor (Augustus) at a support group and the two fall in love. But John Green manages to tell their story without it becoming a depressing book about kids with cancer. There were several times I cried, but the book is filled with humor, heart, and beautiful one liners. I started The Fault in Our Stars last Wednesday night, intending to read just for a little while until I fell asleep. I ended up reading it from start to finish in three and a half hours, not stopping to get up even once. The next day I ordered two more books by John Green and I can’t wait to read them. For more on TFiOS, check out this book club discussion on A Beautiful Mess.

This Home

I’m in love with this “Classic Chic Home in Chicago” on Style Me Pretty. It has a lovely understated-Parisian-glamor style mixed with some great contemporary accents. And that kitchen is absolutely my dream room. When can I move in?

Green With Envy

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner (T-minus 4 days), so today I thought I’d share some inspiration photos of rooms featuring the signature color of the Irish: green! Although green isn’t one of my favorite colors to decorate with I do think that when done well it can be absolutely stunning.

via Hello Metro

via Hello Metro

by Nate Berkus

by Nate Berkus

by Nate Berkus

via Apartment Therapy

Miles Redd via Elle Décor

via Elle Décor

Nate Berkus via Elle Décor

by Kelly Wearstler

Also in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a throwback to a DIY art project I did last year for the holiday.

For more pictures and full instructions click here.

Beautiful Blue Accessories

Yesterday I shared my obsession with Lupita Nyong’o’s gorgeous Oscars dress and my love for all things “Nairobi Blue.” Here are a few accessories you can buy to bring a splash of this lovely blue into your life.

Virginia frames, Z Gallerie / 14K Gold and Aqua Drop Earrings, JCPenney / Blooming Lace Bowl, Anthropologie / Vintage Footed Dessert Bowl, Pier 1 / Peacock Burnout Curtain, Pier 1 / Elongated Flared Top Vase, West Elm / Gloria Jewel Box, Z Gallerie / kate spade wallet, Nordstrom / Tiered Pendant, Furbish Studio

Color Crush: Lupita’s Nairobi Blue

Did you guys watch the Oscars on Sunday? I loved it! Ellen was the perfect host; I especially loved the pizza delivery bit and the infamous group selfie that broke twitter. And she managed to be funny without offending half the audience (unlike Seth McFarlane).

And of course the fashion was impeccable. I think my favorite of the night was Cate Blanchett, but a very close second was Lupita Nyong’o.

Oh my goodness, how lovely! Lupita has looked perfect at every red carpet this season, but this blue is just beautiful on her. She said she chose it because the blue reminded her of Nairobi, hence the media immediately dubbed her dress “Nairobi Blue.”

This pale shade of aquamarine is such a beautiful color, and it translates beautifully to home décor. Take a look:

via Better Home and Garden

via Elle Décor

via Elle Décor

via Better Homes and Gardens

via Poppytalk

via Camera and Chaos

via Elle Decor

Are you as in love with this color as I am? As you can see from the pictures above, aqua can work in every room in the house: bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen, even the laundry room! Make sure to come back tomorrow to see some accessories you can buy to bring a little Nairobi Blue into your home.